


The Crocodile's Symphony

by The_Sunflower_Seed



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Gore, Drowning, Eventual Romance, F/M, Flashbacks, Gamemakers are sadistic, Hunger Games, Near Death Experiences, Pining, Slow Burn, Smut, Swearing, Violence, will update the tags as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2018-11-20 17:27:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 15
Words: 55,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11340027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Sunflower_Seed/pseuds/The_Sunflower_Seed
Summary: It's the Hunger Games again. You are a tribute from District 2 and your partner is someone you least expected to join you in these games. He is nothing like the traditional District 2 citizens and that's disconcerting. Who is he? More importantly: will you see the day to unravel the mystery of this man?





	1. Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (F/N): first name  
> (L/N): last name
> 
> More info at the end of notes concerning updates, explanations, and other stuff.

Life is not nice. At least not today. Standing in temperatures over a hundred and twenty degrees, you wiped the sweat off your forehead as your instructor’s voice boomed over the intercom, “Again.” Rage beat against your chest. You wanted this to be over with!

With an eyeroll, you artistically wielded the metal bo-staff into an elegant circle as the sounds of the droids whirred to life. You have rehearsed this manuever for what felt like the hundreth time today. Damn you wanted to kill your instructor!

The training arena you were currently in was made of two way glass, you can’t see the placement of your instructor or the droids but they could watch you and rearrange when they wanted to catch you off guard or test a new angle you might’ve not covered. As the daughter of the two victors from your district, you were expected to participate in the Hunger Games.

A ‘t-chk’ made you wield off to the right as you rotated the weapon at lightning speed, the movement and speed your muscles have memorised from the repetition of the drill. Bullets pinged and riccocheted off the bo-staff into hopefully the droids spewing the ammunition out.

You rotated your torso from spot to spot as you identified the pattern of the bullet spray. There were three droids, one to your right, one in the middle, and one off to the left. The one off to your right kept up a continuous spray of bullets while the droid off to the left sprayed bullets for two beats, and then the middle droid would blast a spray of bullets after every two beats.

You weren’t ordinary; crazy as it was, you could identify musical rhythms, beats, synchronies, and everything in between in combat. It helped you focus. It made you more confident in fighting. Such as the music you heard now. Boom, boom, clap!

As loud as the music of bullets had started, to the beat which made you contort and deflect the projectiles, the “music” stopped. Snapping back to reality, smoke had billowed from the places in the glass walls. Identification confirmed you were right: there were three droids to the left, right, and center.

“Impressive work, (L/N).” You rolled your eyes. The unfortunate thing about being the daughter to victors is that nobody knew your first name. They only knew you by your parents and called you by your last name, as though you didn’t earn your first name until you yourself earned it by fighting in the Hunger Games.

You had to honor your family name and participate. This was going to be the year you finally joined.

The glass walls parted as your instructor of the day, Bruticus, lumbered out from the shadows. He was tan, tall, definitely muscular, and his eyes were forever lit with blood lust. He picked up the fallen droid and tossed it to your feet.

“Much like your father, you manage to find a way to kill opponents hiding behind solid objects. Well done.” His voice was laced with bloodlust, wanting to fight you and see who comes out on top. You knew better than to engage him in conersation. It’ll end up with you being too injured to participate in this years games.

A simple nod would suffice. Bruticus narrowed his eyes at you before he waved you out. A good sign you’ll live another day. Your feet briskly graced the ground as you dashed for the showers, the smell and feeling of sweat disgusts you. Your sweat stained clothes coldly clung to every inch on your body.

Bo-staff thrown at the next weapons assistant you spotted, you skidded into the locker room where luckily no one else was present. There were five girls (including you) and five guys. Each of you broke off into groups of two: one girl and one guy. They were the partners you’d work with when it came time to volunteer for the games. If he was picked you would accompany him and vice versa. It was an unspoken rule amongst the people in District Two that if one of your members in your group was picked, their partner followed.

It was disrespectful to interrupt the “partnership” dynamic. Your male partner, Octavian, was currently celebrating. He and your best friend, Rose, were happy to announce that they were expecting a child together. You had promised them both that you’ll head over to their place after training as today was both the wedding ceremony and baby shower.

You ran over to the showers and threw the switch, excitement flushed through you as you tore off your training clothes and ducked into the scalding hot water. Thank god your district was in good favor with the Capitol; you couldn’t imagine the other districts like twelve or worse district eleven where they were so poor, savagery was the way to survive.

Water blasted the accursed sweat away and your mind tried to push off the troubling thoughts threatening to bubble to the surface. It was the last thing you needed to ruin your day. After a rough morning of scoldings from your parents concerning the incident with a Peacekeeper-to-be, the outcast of the district, and worse, you running away from the Peacekeepers, you were shipped to the training facility and trained to the bone. Muscles soothed under the water and a soft melody of water flowing from the faucet relaxed your nerves with the steam acting as a hum of serenity.

Your eyes turned to the window leading outside the facility and it was turning grey outside. Damn it! You had to reach your friends before it started to rain! You turned off the water and ran to your locker (which was a stark white like the rest of the inside of the facility), unlocking it with your handprint. The hand scanner turn green with confirmation, swinging open sluggishly. You grabbed your clothes out before the locker swung open all the way, throwing on your tank top and leggings, tennis shoes shoved oto your feet. The locker beeped morbidly as it swung shut with your rapid departure.

Bursting through the glass doors, you ran through the concrete city, heat amplified because of the lack of nature for miles. You’ve seen nature off from afar depending on which side of the district you were in. One side had luscious pine trees, another had grains, and the other was red sand. You were a blurr to everyone, the cardio training paying off as you reached the area you wanted: Victor’s Village. Your home was at the end of the village; it’s white pearly pillars glimmering in the sun, the windows glittered in beauty, and to everyone who looked beyond the gates, it was a far cry from home. It hid the cold bitterness behind the forest green doors littered with golden ornaments in the depiction of the crocodile.

It represented the victors: cold to emotions, precise, skillful, fast, and predatory. All traits needed to win in life. You secretly despised your house symbol and wished for Rose’s instead: the house of the dove. Love, grace, purity, and a bird to represent sacrifice. Her mother was a victor and she wasn’t like everyone in the district. She didn’t want Rose to continue the legacy of victors in the family. Instead, she taught Rose how to be kind to others for no personal favors or gains and only taught combat as a means of defense against potential attacks. Otherwise Rose learned basic survival means inside and outside of the district.

Firmly you smashed down the intruding thoughts again and noticed the gates were closed with no Peacekeeper around. Great. You expertly walked to the smooth marble wall keeping the lower class out of the village and prepared yourself to jump to the top. Your muscles screamed with protest as you squatted down as low to the ground as you could to get the extra distance you needed.

“Hey! Don’t jump just yet!” You fell on your butt against the sidewalk with relief as Octavian walked over to the golden gates from the opposite side, his purple eyes staring at you. Hallejujah! Your partner walked off to the side and the golden gate swung outwards with an eerie squeak.

“Rosie was wondering when you would come over. Training bad today?” You walked through, the gates squeaking closed as you acknowledged him, “I had Bruticus.” Octavian hummed an understanding as you brushed a long piece of platinum blonde hair behind his ear. The boy was extremely pale to the point he looked grey than a healthy porcelain skin tone.

“She’s been holding off the baby shower just for you!”

“Why’s that?”

“You’ll see.” Rose’s home with Octavian was that of her late mother. The poor woman sadly passed away only a few months ago from pneumonia and left Rose the house for their growing family. It was luxurious on the iside but it was small enough to support a basic family instead of your home where it was sprawling with enough rooms to house everyone from the Peacekeeper barracks. You despised your home and hoped you’d get a home like Rose if you won the games.

Through the soft yellow door, the living room was packed with Rose’s friends about roughly thirty people plus Rose. Rose was a beautiful eighteen year old with bright red hair, eyes as green as a forest, and was dressed in a regal peach dress. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, rising from the white couch and flung herself into your arms.

“I’m so glad you came!” Her voice was full of life and happiness. ‘She’d definitely make a good mother!’ You thought as she led you to the couch, the party starting as soon as Rose brought you inside. All the guests were mingling with one another, some laughed happily while others gossiped quietly. You ignored them as Ocatavian sat by his wife’s side, wrapping an arm loosely around her waist.

“I was wondering if you’ll be the godmother for our child.”

You reeled back a bit at the offer. Godmother? Already? That was quick! Rose frowned at your reaction, “You don’t want to?”

“What? No!” You sputtered out as you tried to recover from this conversation; social interactions were not your forte! Taking a deep breath you explained what was racing through your thoughts, “You recently found out you were pregnant, got hitched, and now throwing a baby shower. This kind of came out of the blue. Why me?”

“Because,” Octavian butted in, moving Rose from the couch to his lap, pressing a quick kiss to the back of his wife’s head. “you have shown you’re protective of Rose and we think you’d be equally protective with our kid, you said you wanted to test run a child before you have some.” The cheeky gladiator added in with a teasing wink before being elbowed in the gut by Rose who finished with, “And you’re the only person we trust if something should happen to us.”

Cold dread swept your body. Tomorrow was the reaping. Everyone was going to be there. Octavian, Rose, you, and everyone from the district in front of the Victor’s Village to be chosen for the Hunger Games. What’s worse: Rose was most likely to be picked out of the bowl containing victor offspring since no one in the family worked and they wouldn’t have to worry about grain or oil payments but rather for soap and other necessities.

“Don’t worry, (F/N). Just enjoy tonight.” Rose smiled warmly. You smiled back, your crocodile lessons showing happiness although your instincts said otherwise, “I’d be happy to be the godmother of your child then.”

The room burst with cheers and claps of joy at your newly accepted role in Rose’s and Octavian’s  lives. For all the joy and warmth spreading through the room, an unsettling feeling settled in the pit of your stomach. A beautiful tempo fluttered and if any normal person could hear it, it was a happy tune. But you were from the crocodile family and only you could hear the overtones of a storm accelerating and threatening to destroy everything in your life. For now all you could do was smile and savor this night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is more like a glimpse into your life before the actual story starts and I'll admit it's kind of boring but I promise more good content as I'm writing this fic.
> 
> Anyways believe it or not I'm going to be somewhat delayed since I'm still in school and I have a final at the end of this week! So I'll try to update either every other day or every other week since you know I'm still in school. But leave a comment and look out for updates of this fic on my tumblr: strawberryjoe. Have a nice day!
> 
> P.S. the map of Panem I'm using is over on the Hunger Games wiki since it's been awhile.


	2. The Reaping

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (F/N): First Name  
> (L/N): Last Name
> 
> Read and enjoy!

_Curfew started an hour ago. Victor’s can roam the streets at night since their fighting skills proved they could fight off any delinquents that dared to break curfew. The Peacekeepers should’ve enforced curfew whenever they spotted you walking down the black top and moving from alleyway to alleyway but they knew better. As from the house of crocodile’s, you were a predator. You’ve proven to take down a small militia alone (in your defense, you had a shitty day and a Peacekeeper was being a douche bag!)_

_Alleyways were familiar with the smooth architecture of the middle class, their houses built with white cement and glass windows in a futuristic design. Sometimes you’d see little children poke their heads out of their windows to watch with envy as you’d stroll casually down the street. Tonight was different. Children were poking their heads out to the sound your ears twitched at._

_It was a whistle and then a crack against a surface you couldn’t recognize. You wouldn’t have investigated but the abnormality of the sounds screwed up the music your head was trying to organize._

_“Get your hands off him!” There was that shout and the other shout you recognized as Spanish, a language once in a while spoken to those taught with the ancestry of the region. Your area was a area where there were people with dark hair and dark skin or people with light skin and light hair. Rarity’s weren’t appreciated. A strangled yell set your mind into motion and the music your mind conjured made you inhumanly fast, a flutter of an invisible flute made you bounce off the wall at an angle, your feet landing on the top of the buildings._

_You broke out into a sprint as your eyes located the noise. The square was lit with bright lights and the whips were whistling and cracking at a maddening symphony crescendo which drove you absolutely nuts! It sent the command to attack, to destroy the cause of the crescendo, and go on your merry way to resume your evening outings._

_You leapt from building to building, the air whistling behind you, and the sudden drop in your stomach sent shock waves of adrenaline through your body. It made you feel alive! The rush was what felt amazing out of all your training, this feeling was worth it! You jumped a couple more buildings, nearly hurdling into the square._

_Your tactical trainer, Tracker, advised you to hide in the shadows, observe, make a decision, and execute the plan. You took to a crouch as you surveyed the scene below. Blood was no stranger to you. Peacekeeper training was on the streets and you knew only one person whom the Peacekeepers would punish at this time of night._

_“(F/N).”_

* * *

“(F/N), get up. The Reaping starts in one hour.” Ugh why is it whenever a dream got interesting, your mother had to come in and wake you? With a high pitched whine, you stretched your limbs, refusing to open your eyes. Silence and then a light weight was thrown at the end of your bed.

“Come on (F/N), you need to move it!” Your mother’s voice transformed from a lull of normalcy to a shrill of disapproval. You opened your eyes to see the door to your bedroom close. It wasn’t forceful but it wasn’t a soft click either. Today was the day. This year was Octavian’s last chance to join the games before he got too old; same with Rose. Dread curled around your heart whenever Rose was brought to your mind concerning the Reaping. Your gut was never wrong.

Rose was going to be chosen today as the tribute.

Rose’s partner was actually a Peacekeeper who has been causing problems around the district lately. Funny enough, the other Peacekeepers hoped he would be chosen to die but it meant your poor pregnant friend would go in as well. Sorrowful music tickled your ears this time to the crowds faint voices. It was an acapella of murmurs but there was one other noise that unnerved you. It was a music that urged you to make a decision. It was an aggressive blast of loud noise like trumpets.

Save Rose and spare the pain in the ass Peacekeeper but at the cost of your life and putting Rose’s husband, Octavian in danger? Or be selfish, put pregnant Rose in danger, and finally let the Hunger Games get rid of the Peacekeeper yet have a grieving Octavian?

You knew the answer. It wasn’t going to be nice but it was the right decision. Suddenly as it had arrived, the decision music died to silence, leaving you with the murmurs. Your eyes glanced over to the outfit your mother had prepared for you. It was a dark green dress made out of reptilian skin. Of course she’d want you to dress in resemblance of your household symbol. Maybe you’ll indulge her this one time.

* * *

Forty-five minutes later and you were placed in the upper row next to Rose on your left and Octavian on Rose’s left. It was to protect her from the Peacekeeper-in-Training named Skul. He was everything a gladiator should be: blonde hair, blue eyes, muscular, and had to survive on blood-lust. Skul never took an interest in Rose romantically but in a one-night sort of way. You were the only thing that put a stop to his sadism; the bruises, cuts, and missing teeth a show of what happens when you were merciful in a fight. Especially a year ago. You had recognized the dream and it threatened to overwhelm you; the buzz of the elders were soft and relaxing while the chatter of excitement from your district put your teeth on edge. Like recorders you had to learn in school for the first time, the noise made you cringe.

Rose knew about the music buzzing in your head. She was the only one who knew about it since she was good at keeping a secret. If anyone knew about the music, they could potentially harm you. Your friend had joked that maybe your soulmate could play instruments but lacked the symphonies orchestrated through your head. Octavian noticed you cringe and raised an eyebrow. You hope if you volunteered for tribute, someone else would take Octavian’s place.

You hoped.

The stage was set in a pristine white, the hot summer sun beating overhead. You felt the sweat cling to your skin and it unnerved you. It felt slimy, wet, and it didn’t help that your dress was real crocodile leather. Yuck!

Trying to get your mind off the uncomfortable sensation, you tried to locate the escort of District 2. Her name as she introduced herself for the past two years was Silvia and she lived up to her name. Always dressed in silver and if she wasn’t, you wouldn’t know. She was always dressed in this color during the Reaping. Peacekeepers lined the front of the stage, arms behind their backs to look more intimidating. Two of them stood out from the group, forming a somewhat pointed arrow. They were the ones to escort tributes to the stage.

Ever since someone from District Twelve tried to storm the stage and rescue their loved one from the games, it was required the Peacekeepers be stationed at the exit of the Reaping, in front of the stage, and by each row of potential tributes. “It’s to stop the endangerment of innocent people” the Head Peacekeeper explained the next time the Reaping occurred. Nobody questioned the explanation back then and nobody questioned it now.

The squeal of the microphone signaled the beginning of the Reaping.

You had to hold back a snort of laughter at your escort’s appearance: she was a very small woman clad from head to toe in silver with high heels as high as your knees. It’d be easy for her to fall and it surprised you that she great balance and grace to even walk onto the stage. Silvia tapped the microphone twice as though it’d help get rid of the screech. The microphone wailed once and the static dissipated. She cleared her voice and sang, “Good morning District 2! My name is Silvia Storm and welcome to the drawing of our ninety-ninth Hunger Games!” Everyone cheered and roared happily with Silvia dancing on the stage with excitement. Her hair was dyed silver, her face was stark white, and her lips were pure silver glitter. Her dress looked as though she stepped into a metallic slinky in shape of a triangle, the dress spiraling upwards.

What is with everyone and strange fashion? You preferred the simplicity of some of the other district’s clothing. They were plain colors and straight forward. As much as you’d like to cheer with the crowd, you wanted this done and over with.

“First thing’s first, we have to watch the video to celebrate the history of the Capitol and of our annual Hunger Games.” Groans of disappointment echoed throughout the crowd and Silvia tsked at them.

“I know most of you have already memorized the video but it’s for the nostalgia and the reason why we celebrate the Capitol to this day!” The film started rolling, Silvia quickly scuttling off to the side so others can watch. You kept your eyes anywhere but the screen. It felt like a brainwashing regiment and you wanted to be clear headed.

The speakers boomed to life with a terrible blast of vibrations as a nuclear warhead slammed into the distance on screen, catching your attention before you looked away.

_This was the uprising that brought our land, the country that fed them, protected them. Then came the peace.”_

Music from the screen was disrupting your thoughts, your music felt suppressed by the president’s video. You found Silvia tearing up on the side of the stage, fanning herself so her makeup wouldn’t run down her cheeks. You turned your head to Rose and she was leaning against Octavian for support, love and fear in her eyes. For once you were glad your district was treated well enough that your district can stand next to the other gender. You’d know for sure Rose would be hanging onto you for life if Octavian was separated from her.

_“The lone victor...bathe in riches...will serve as our reminder of our generosity...and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safe guard our future.”_

The screen flickered off was Silvia crossed back to the stage, two glass bowls filled with names rising from below the stage. Butterflies fluttered in your stomach, your heart hammered against your rib cage, and your hot sweat turned to cold sweat.

“Our history is filled with strength and pride, as reflected with our annual Reaping. Before we begin, I just want to say:” there was a pause and when she spoke again, everyone’s voice mimicked hers, “may the odds be ever in your favor.” Silvia walked over to the bowl on the right and giggled, “Ladies first.”

Her metallic fingers dipped into the bowl and instead of picking from the top, she dug her hand all the way to the bottom, “If I remember the rules correctly for the district, when I choose a name and someone volunteers, I have to pick the first volunteer since we cannot have a continuous line of volunteers or else we’d be here all day.” White envelopes parted outwards as Silvia finally grabbed one and showed it to the crowd. Instead of a red seal of a civilian,it was gold seal signaling the child of a previous victor’s child. You held your breath, blood rushing to your ears, hands turning clammy.

“(F/N),” Rose spoke and you looked at her, heart dropping, “everything will be fine. You don’t have to volunteer if you don’t want to.”

She was wrong. You had to. Silvia audibly opened the envelope as everything went silent for anticipation.

“Our first tribute for District Two is,” she paused for dramatic effect and with a glamorous wink to the crowd, her eyes flicked down to the calligraphy written in gold, “Rose Haven.” Before a single noise could follow up the declaration, you roared out, “I volunteer as tribute!”

Chaos was the next thing you remembered. Events cascaded as roars of anger filled your ears, you were being pulled forward by two Peacekeepers while someone was trying to hold you back. You saw a club being raised to hit whoever was attempting to hold you back and a broken voice rang through your ears, “Rose, let her go. She will be fine.” You were pulled out from the second row and led up to the stage, being escorted up on the stage. Each foot felt heavy climbing the steps to face your entire district. What felt like an eternity later, you were standing face-to-face with Silvia.

Her face was beautiful and overdone with silver. Up close, you can see distinct flower patterns of a silver white on her face, her eyes were blue like the sky, and her teeth were an unsettling white.

“What’s your name, sweetie?” She offered the microphone to you.

“(F/N).”

“And your last name?”

“(L/N).”

“Oh! Another child of the victor’s! Judging by your dress, the house of the crocodile correct?” You looked out to the crowd to find familiar faces of your loved ones. No one looked happy that you volunteered even Rose and Octavian yet their faces were filled with tears. You found your parents in the far back, their faces beaming with pride at the fact their only child was going to be in the Hunger Games. It was unsettling.

“Why did you volunteer?”

Your parents told you to answer honestly when given a question about why you volunteered. They probably thought you were doing it for the title of victor. They were wrong.

“My friend, Rose, she’s pregnant and I did it to save her family.” Silvia looked shocked at your answer and you honestly didn’t care about her reaction. For once, your escort was left speechless and she waltzed over to the glass bowl as you stood at attention. You didn’t want to see your parents eyes. They were probably filled with disappointment at the fact you sacrificed yourself for your friend.

You could’ve let someone else volunteer but there were not a lot of girls who’d like to come be a tribute in your district despite their training. You weren’t going to risk Rose being the only tribute of your district. Also your parent’s would never forgive you if you never entered the games. It felt like a lose-lose situation overall. You snapped your attention back to the crowd as the noise of long fingertips skimming over the envelopes in the second bowl.

“Now for our final tribute and companion to (F/N).” Silence fell over the crowd and your eyes met Octavian’s. His fists were clenched and you shook your head at him. You hoped Octavian didn’t volunteer since he had a family to take care of. You’d rather have him shamed for not joining and raise his child than dead and never see his child.

The sound of the envelope’s seal being broken and the chiming voice echoed through the air, “Remember: the first person to volunteer will be the only entrant. All others will be discarded.” You hoped your face wasn’t betraying the anxiety you had. You absolutely did not want Octavian to join you.

“Ido Valdemar.” You saw Octavian’s mouth preparing to step in as the area went silent. After all, there was an unspoken rule that if one person from the pair was the tribute, their partner needs to join them.

“I volunteer as tribute.”

Wait a minute, that voice wasn’t Octavian’s.

Your face contorted with confusion as you scanned the crowd for the person who volunteered himself. The Peacekeepers walked to the front area and a man walked out with the stoniest face you could see. He was seventeen if you could estimate his age correctly but he didn’t look like someone from your district.

He had disheveled hair, clothes, and his features were definitely none of the district’s features. The features of your district were usually soft and angelic but his features were gaunt as though he hadn’t had proper nutrition. He had brown hair (which depending on the light) was either dark or light and his skin was tan. Most people here were pale. The tribute looked resigned to his fate and for once, it was described you. You felt resigned concerning your fate.

You turned your attention back out to the crowd as the stranger clomped on stage, standing to Silvia’s right.

“What’s your name?”

“Jesse, Jesse McCree.”

The name sounded familiar. You wish you were in a better state of mind to pay attention to the reason why Jesse decided to volunteer.

“This is a lovely sight! Jesse McCree and (F/N) (L/N) are our two tributes for District Two!” Everyone broke out into applause except for you and when you glanced over at Jesse, he wasn’t clapping either. It was a bit reassuring knowing your partner for the Hunger Games wasn’t too enthusiastic about the arrangement but now it left you with more questions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm probably going to use some Overwatch characters as tributes but not all of them.


	3. Calm Before The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KEY  
> (F/N): First Name

You gazed out of the train window as it zipped through the landscape. Mountains, trees, and nature in general was a great green blur against the blue sky. It was happening, you were finally in the Games and you couldn’t back out. You were enjoying the green landscape while you still could.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” You turned back to the man who spoke. His face was scarred from his time in the games, the long one going diagonally from the left corner of his forehead to his right cheekbone. From the previous times in training, you were forced to watch your district’s victor’s fight from beginning to the end. Your mentor was none other than Jack Morrison otherwise known as the Hero. From what you remembered, he had gotten the scar on his face when a tribute from District Ten surprised Jack from behind a dead carcass and swung his knife upwards. It was quick reflexes which saved Jack from losing his eye.

You gave a tiny nod to Jack, words failing you. To anybody else, it would be a dream to talk to the hero of the eighty-sixth Hunger Games except you only volunteered to save your friend and appease your parents. You didn’t want to think about them when you were in the city hall saying your goodbyes. You’d tuned them out and only payed attention to Rose and Octavian when it came their turn. Your heart wrenched at Rose as she sobbed hysterically into your shoulder, her embrace nearly bone breaking.

For a pregnant girl and one who didn’t train for the Hunger Games, damn was she strong!

“For a tribute from this district, you don’t look all that excited.” Jack spoke and you decided to at least be civil. He was sitting at the dining table, Silvia somewhere in the back cars and your ally, Jesse, was somewhere in the back as well. Jesse didn’t speak to anyone unless it was words laced with hate.

He snapped at Silvia when she had suggested he should go clean up. Jack had to speak to Jesse in Spanish, a rare language few people knew before he stomped off. You wanted to know more about Jesse but you feared he would snap at you. Not something you would enjoy before going to face your death.

You walked over to the dining table and sat down, the furniture very plain compared to the lavish lifestyle you grew up with. You liked simplicity compared to gaudy wealth. A glimpse to the clock hanging over Jack’s head read 1:15 p.m. It’s been thirty minutes since you’ve boarded this train and left. One more day and you’d be in the Capitol.

“I’m not excited to be in the games.”

“Then why volunteer when someone else can take your place?”

“Parental expectations.” Dread welled up in your throat or was it fear? Certain emotions you couldn’t identify since your parents and instructors taught you not to show emotion. Not until you figured out ways to get the Capitol to favor you when your inside the arena.

Jack closed his eyes and shook his head slowly, “It’s sad to see you people your age brainwashed into thinking the games is just that a game.” He paused for a second, his eyes meeting yours with startling baby blues eyes filled with pain and sorrow, “I think you’re the only tribute from this district who knows what you will lose.”

“Yeah my life.” You deadpanned as clicking heels against the metal brought your attention over to the car door as it slid open to reveal Silvia, still dressed in her outfit from the reaping ceremony. Her face was uncomfortably bright as she sat herself next to Jack at the small table, she ultimately took the seat to your left as the one to the right sat empty. Guess Jesse wasn’t the social type.

“This has been a good day so far: a dramatic story of you saving your pregnant friend from a certain death in the arena and to top it all off, you’re from a family of victor’s! How do you feel about this (F/N)? You feel excited?” The urge to vomit was making its presence known, of how you were going to die and Silvia thought it was a special priviledge? Color drained from your face, your body went from normal body temperature to clammy. Oh no! Your music wasn’t helping this situation at all! It was a sorrowful violin speeding up as the urge to burst into tears got stronger and stronger.

“I-I have to go catch up on some sleep!” You stammered out, jumping up from your seat and briskly walking out of the cabin door, hearing a soft, “Was it something I said?”

You ran straight to your room and unlocked it, bursting into tears once the door slid shut. You leant your back against the door, knees pulled to your chest, and you quietly sobbed into your knees, all that pent up emotions finally spilling out in the privacy of your room.

Thick tears streamed down your cheeks, coating the dress you’re wearing. For once in your life, you were utterly alone. You could’ve gone to Rose and cried but now you were on a train with three strangers. Only one seemed to know the reality of the game, another has a twisted fantasy, and the other one didn’t seem to care. The music in your head seemed to increase in volume, the sad violin music now accompanied by a piano; you wanted the music to stop! For once in your life you wanted it to stop!

A sudden weight against your back made you jump and turn around. The door slightly gave a bit, pushing a bit into the room. Was there an influx of heat? Or did the Capitol make the doors out of cheap metal? You were about to lean back against the slightly warped door until you heard shuffling. You froze.

Who was on the other side? Why were they sitting at your door?

“I heard you crying.” Muffled but recognizable, it was Jesse’s voice through the door. He’s probably the reason why the door is slightly bent out of shape. You didn’t speak, embarrassment flooding your brain, and fueling more tears to leak out of your eyes.

“I guess it is scary, walking into an arena and expecting to come out on top against the other people in there. Especially if you didn’t want to in the first place.” His voice was soft and fine, kind of like honey in a sense. You desperately wiped your tears away, afraid he might somehow be granted access into your room.

Th vibrations of the train were now more noticeable as the music dulled away to nothing. The silence was welcomed again. For the first time in your life, it wasn’t there.

“Listen, I’ll help ya as much as I can. I’m useless without a gun.”

Suspicion rose out of you again. Guns were not permitted to anyone in the games and the only ones who can have guns were Peacekeepers and the military. So how did he obtain one? Much less train with one? He must have a good eye if he can handle a firearm. An idea sprung to your head. Maybe for once you could help him?

You got up and quickly walked over to the bathroom, grabbing a washcloth and running it under hot water, quickly trying to scrub away the tear stains. Your eyes were red but it was the best you could do. You walked back over to your door, noticing the indent. Good, Jesse didn’t pick up and wander off. Punching in the code to your door, it swished open to Jesse standing up to his feet. You half expected a mean retort as a greeting.

Instead, Jesse looked at you with stunned surprise. Apparently he didn’t expect you to come out of your room to talk to him. He was dressed in a red button up shirt with blue jeans, a leather hat on his head. It looked as though Jesse came from the lower slums of District Two. Yes the district was of masonry and fine wealth but the slums were those who worked in the stone quarries. The rest of the district was wealthy because of those who served as Peacekeepers or in the firearm building industry. Lower slums wore jeans and tough material when working in the quarries while everyone else wore highly craved materials like silk and satin, materials you despised.

You gave him a slight smirk and told him, “I can help you make a substitute for a firearm.” You paused before adding an afterthought, “If you’ll let me.”

A couple moments of silence passed, the air mingled with suspicion and curiosity. Jesse’s gaunt face was laced with skepticism as you walked out into the hallway, letting the door to your room shut. An eyebrow raise later, “A substitute?”

“Yeah, there’s two types of weapons you can probably use. The first one is one you can use out of anything while the second one you’d have to obtain from the cornucopia or off another player during the games.” You rambled off, hoping to keep his attention. Despite his absence, you could tell Jesse was the type who lost interest awfully quick.

“The first one is a slingshot.”

“That’s not a firearm.” Jesse hissed, crossing his arms. There’s the mean retort you were looking for. You continued on, “It’s a weapon you can fashion out of anything and with your accuracy from a firearm, it’s the closest thing for a makeshift weapon you can get your hands on without going into the Cornucopia bloodbath.”

The man looked unimpressed and stood up to his full height. Damn! He had to be at least six feet tall! His eyes from under his hat were darkened as a scowl came across his face.

“Finally the second weapon you have is the crossbow. That’s going to be in the Cornucopia. If you have an alliance with the Career tributes which contain tributes from district’s one, two, and four, your best chances of grabbing the weapon are good unless one of the tributes from the Career district’s specializes in the weapon.”

“Great.” Jesse grumbled as he pinched the bridge of his nose. A shake of his head made you add one tidbit of information, “If sponsors like you enough, they might send you the weapon of your choice. I’ve seen tributes get firearms during the game if sponsors liked them well enough.” It’s what happened to Jack Morrison and some other highly favored tributes during the games. Brown eyes examined you carefully before Jesse turned around and headed towards the main doors. He paused before opening the doors, looking over his shoulder at you, “You coming or what?”

You didn’t want to face Silvia, not after your mental breakdown yet at the same time you should go talk to Jack about some helpful advice on the games. You silently walked towards Jesse’s turned back and you tried for idle conversation this time, hoping it’d disperse the awkward intensity of the weapons conversation, “Is your hat your token by chance?”

“Yeah it is.” Jesse turned to you one more time and let his eyes roam your body, frowning when he didn’t see anything he was looking for.

“What’s your token?”

“I didn’t get one.” You lied. Of course you got a token but it was from your parents. They tried to give you a locket filled with a vial of poison as your token. It would’ve gotten confiscated anyways so you tossed it off the platform shortly before you boarded the train.

A nod of understanding from Jesse as the main hallway door opened and you both walked into the main cabin again, seeing Silvia daintily eat a pastry with a tiny silver spoon. Jack looked up at the both of you entering the room, “I know it’s overwhelming but take my advice and you will survive.”

A small nod from you as you moved to the window, taking a look out of the window again. It’s been at least an hour based on the position of the sun. It still beamed overhead, sky is still blue, and the scenery was all flat lands with flecks of green among the brown grass. Clouds were rolling in, dark and nasty looking. How long has it been since you’ve seen a rain storm?

Too long.

“Come now dear,” Silvia’s sweet harpsichord voice called, “it isn’t all bad. Get a few sponsors on your side and you’ll be back in Victor’s Village with your own house before you know it.”

“Yeah but at the cost of my humanity.” You snapped as you whirled on your heel to face them. Silvia looked shocked by your outburst, Jesse was watching with interest, and Jack nodded.

“She has a point Silvia. You might’ve come from the Capitol but people like me and (F/N) know what we are losing once we step foot in the arena.” Jack took a gulp of water as you took a seat at the head of the table, Silvia again to your left, Jesse to your right,and Jack straight across from you.

Your mentor leaned back a bit as he started, “I don’t know what your landscape for the games will be for this year. Only your stylists will have an idea as they will be designing your uniforms. I do want you guys to spend time on how to build a fire, one that will give you heat but not tip off your opponents via smell. I also recommend you make a fire during the day so then you’re not drawing attention to yourself at night.” A simple nod from you and Jesse. No words passed as Jack passed on his survival knowledge to the both of you. Finally after hours of tips, it was time to retire for the night.

Jack and Silvia departed, your escort winking at you. What was that all about? You didn’t know and for now it only served to confuse you. Jesse was in the room with you and you looked up at the sky once again. The sun was bright red as it set over the plains of meadows, a lovely shade of crimson. The music in your head was a soft flute as it fluttered in serenity. Nothing too exciting or dreary.

“Have you never seen the sky before?” Jesse stood next to you, looking straight ahead like you are.

“Not this color.”

“I always see you staring out.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No just unusual. Most of the people from your district are focused on training to be victors and never stop to look at the sky. You do the opposite.”

You couldn’t help yourself, Jesse was talking as though he wasn’t from this district. You had to ask.

“You keep talking about our district like it’s not your district. So if you’re not from District Two, then which district are you from? How did you get to this district? And most importantly: why?”

Silence followed. A couple of moments passed between the both of you before Jesse’s voice came into focus, “It’s getting late. Got to rest before we arrive into the Capitol. Who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow.” Boots clomped out of the car towards the sleeping quarters.

Alone in the main car, you stared at the sun until it was fully gone, leaving a black inky sky. It was the calm before the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just got a job so I don't know if it will interfere with my writing schedule but if it does, I'll let you guys know.


	4. Burdens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (F/N): Your Name  
> (F/C): Favorite Color

“Come on (F/N). It’s time to go.” You woke up to Silvia standing over you, her silver hair down in loose waves, diamonds dotting her hair. She looked mild for an escort and it was welcomed. It was ceremony day, the day where the tributes are paraded into the streets to commence the training week before the actual games started. The level you were housed in was plain since the higher luxury levels were reserved for the poorer districts like twelve and eleven.

Heels clacked against the cold ceramic tile as they faded out into the hallway, the doors closing behind her. The room was a pale blue with only photographs as decorations. The window behind your bed was massive, stretching from the floor to the cathedral ceiling, the sun rising a gentle yellow compared to high noon. Removing the covers, you softly padded to the shower and washed yourself, enjoying the lukewarm water, the body wash smelled like lavender and it was a welcomed scent. Shortly, you tore yourself from the water and dried yourself off before dressing in pretty plain clothes.

You adored them as it was a (F/C) pastel shirt and black slacks. You weren’t supposed to dress fancy since your stylists were going to dress you up later for the festival. Memories of watching tributes paraded in the streets filled your mind. There was one tribute who stuck out in your mind when you thought about the opening ceremonies. As a little girl, there was a tribute who had black hair like silk, skin warm like her voice when she spoke to the public, and she was dressed in a magnificent blue with gold trimming. She was the epitome of a goddess whom you admired to be. You couldn’t remember her name although she was from District One. A beautiful lady from a beautiful district. Beauty and grace was this tributes gift while your gift was fighting to music. Makes you wonder which gift was better.

Your stomach growled like a feral beast who hasn’t been fed in months. Time to go get breakfast. Padding into the main living area, you were welcomed with the sight of Jack and Jesse talking between themselves, Silvia was paying attention to their conversation yet was not voicing her opinion on the matter. She sipped at her tea, the scent of apple and cinnamon tickling your nose in comfort. You could dismiss this as normal except this week wasn’t going to be normal.

It was officially Training Week and first up on the list was the training. Where you train for five days before the lethal trials begin. One was the weakest of the weak while a score of twelve meant you were the deadliest of them all. Next was the true opening of the games. Essentially where stylists dressed the tributes to the theme of their district’s and tried to gain sponsors through costuming before the interviews where you sat down with the host of the games, Mr. Flickerman, and answered questions ranging from strategy to your personal background.

As nerve-wracking as this was, you felt a strange sense of peace surround you as you sat at the table, being served by an Avox. You pitied them as they were the lowest of the low and treated as a slave. The one serving you was a male with bright green hair, dressed where his right pectoral was showing off a bright green dragon tattoo. You were impressed by the tattoo as it seemed to glow when Silvia snapped at him, “You oaf! Serve her something breakfast related!”

“Knock it off Silvia!” You hissed before turning to the Avox, “I’m sorry. You can serve me what you prepared already. I don’t mind.” You softened your voice for him. He didn’t deserve to be treated the way Silvia or anyone in the Capitol treated him. The man gave a slight nod and slid the plate in front of you. It was some sort of meat drizzled in gravy with potato’s on the side.

“Thank you.” The man bowed and walked away to the side, waiting for the next order. Out of the corner of your eye, you swore you saw a tiny smile graced his features. You wished you could make conversation with him but their tongues were cut out and would make it difficult to converse with. You grabbed the fork, eating the succulent meat slowly as to savor this moment.

Peace and calm before the week of excitement began and before the Hunger Games. This meat oozed a bit of blood, you were guessing steak yet there was a slight tang to it. Did they marinate this? Or was it a different animal?

You jolted backwards as a hand waved in front of you.

“You payin’ attention there?” Your gaze met the annoyed eyes belonging to Jesse. Seriously, what was his problem? He acted nice to you when you were crying, then he became an asshole, and now he was annoyed towards you. Jack shot Jesse a glare, the youth only rolled his eyes as he leaned back in his chair, balancing it on the back two legs.

“What Jesse and I were talking about was the possibility of getting sponsors.”

“I thought we’d have it easy since most sponsors liked the Careers.” You finished the meat and started on the potato’s. They were still hot and you preferred the potato’s buttered. You pulled the butter tray towards you, cutting a sliver of butter off, slathering it over the cut halves.

“As true as it is, I am theorizing Jesse might not get the sponsors approval even with his combat training.” Jesse fought like a professional, easily cutting down enemies and you had shown Jesse the slingshot options. It was easy to remember since it was the reason why there was a bruise at the base of your skull. Your injury throbbed painfully as you remembered the “accident”.

* * *

_The training room was a dark blue, a surprise from the shining silver and the pearly white walls you were used to. This place reminded you of water and you immediately thought of the District Four tributes. They were good kids, pretty young as the girl was only twelve and the boy only thirteen. You’ve seen them in passing and they seemed to avoid you and Jesse. Sooner or later, they would be coming around to form a Career pact; one you were still debating about. To join or not to join?_

_“Hey you going to show me something or what?” You turned to Jesse sharply, embarrassment racing through your body. You didn’t like it when people caught you off guard. It took everything not to physically lash out on your partner. Jesse’s eyes watched your move. No. His eyes were_ calculating _your movements like a predator such as yourself._

_With a swallow, you turned to the table you both were standing at. It was transparent, signaling an information data table. A wave of your hand and a holographic menu rose to the palm of your hand._

_“I’m going to show you your slingshot options since we won’t be able to practice with weapons until all the tributes for the Hunger Games arrive in the Capitol.”_

_“It’s not a firearm.” Jesse grumbled, crossing his arms across his chest. Geez, he was grumpy and you weren’t tolerating his sour mood. You activated the weapons menu and looked under projectiles. There was the slingshot option and you tapped the first one called slings. It was basic in design. A simple cloth with a rock held inside, both ends of the sling in your hand._

_“Do you a spare piece of cloth on you?” It didn’t hurt to ask. He was dressed in jeans, a button up, and boots. He was more dressed than you were with a long tank top and athletic pants. The tiles were cold beneath your bare feet. The feeling of socks and shoes felt funny on your feet, suffocating them. Jesse shook his head. Oh well it wasn’t going to be much of a problem anyways._

_You grabbed a handful of your tank top bottom and ripped a good chunk off. A long tank top just became a crop top. A light blush grazed your cheeks, your eyes diverting to the projectile platform. It was a dark blue octagon with a light coming from the top of the platform with various projectiles lying on the surface. Rocks, metal balls the size of your hand, and other ammunition used for slingshots._

_Clearing your throat, you walked over to the platform and plucked up a rock the size of your fist, “Okay, this is the most basic slingshot you can make with anything.” A presence against your backside made you squeak._

_“I get that. Now show me.”_

_Instead, you placed the rock in the sling, forcing the weapon into Jesse’s hand._

_“Circle it around your head at a fast enough speed and you’ll do some damage or kill someone.” You raised your fist up in the air, rotating your arm, and circling it in the air as fast as you could. Jesse gave a grunt of disappointment and finally mimicked you, forcing the sling over his head. After a couple swings, he let go of one end of the sling, the rock careening into the glass wall, shattering into minuscule pieces. Facepalm to the face._

_“At least we’re forgiven because we’re tributes.” You mumbled as your hand slowly dragged itself off your face. You grabbed the next slingshot and placed it in Jesse’s hand, giving him a minuscule stone. His hands were calloused specifically his palms, the crook of his index finger, and the web between said finger and the thumb. A little odd since these callouses seemed more like leather than the stone like callouses of digging in the quarry. Your heart sped up and you had to back away from Jesse._

_There was no way you had feelings for this guy! There’s no way! He was rude, stubborn, filthy, impatient, and damn it! Turning on your heel, you started to speed walk your way to the exit. Anywhere was better than here; you didn’t want to confront your emotion’s in a training area whether or not people were present._

_“Get back here!”_

_It was a lot easier to ignore him now the music buzzed in your head again. This time a clarinet smoothly played a couple notes in a flurry, you feet moving in tandem to the alternating notes. Jesse watched as you strode your way to the exit, your hands balled into fists to the point your knuckles turned white. He’s seen that stance before and in truth, he never wanted to see it again._

_“(F/N)!” He tried not to make it sound desperate but it didn’t seem to matter as you were now a foot away from the door. Reflexes kicked in, he picked up the slingshot, pulled the rock all the way back, and fired. The rock looked as though it disappeared into thin air and then a sharp snap reverberated through the air._

_In slow motion, you crumpled to the ground, your right hand at the base of your skull, pain struck like lightning, lighting up pain along your spine, and your head was blinded by pain. Splotches of black and purple filled your vision as you desperately tried to shake the distortion out._

_“Oh shit!” A voice breathed into your ear and now you let your fighting instincts take over. Although you were still blinded, you pulled your hand into a fist, landing a right hook on your attacker. In your mind, you knew it was Jesse but you were furious that he had the audacity to try to hurt you when you were trying to help him._

_So much for an alliance. A punch to your face jarred you for a second before your eyes grew dark not from blindness but from rage as you got to your feet and Jesse must’ve followed you._

_“Damn! I didn’t mean to do that! It was an accident!”_

_Jesse must’ve been stunned by the attack since the next thing you did was follow it up with a swift kick to his gut. Your vision cleared a tiny bit, enough to watch Jesse raise his arm, blocking a downward strike of your elbow onto him._

_“The hell?!” A hand grabbed your throat and your left hand found Jesse’s nose, warm blood stained your knuckles, his left cheek now turning a nasty purple color. As you tried one more time to hit the bastard, a couple of arms grabbed you by the waist and picked you up, turning you to face the opposite corner._

_“That’s enough!” As you struggled, your vision finally cleared to the deep blue room, your head tilting back to the person holding you. It was Jack._

_“(F/N), don’t take it out on Jesse.”_

_“The asshole blinded me with a stupid rock!” You sputtered out, kicking your feet out in an attempt to get free. Jack rolled his eyes and squeezed you bit tighter in warning._

_“See what emotions do to you? They make you forget your surroundings. Keep them in check.” To punctuate his point, he threw you to the floor and turned his back to you. Humiliation swept through you as you watched an equally pissed off Jesse get a lecture from Jack as well. A quick dust off and you raced back to your room, where you remained until Training Week officially was announced._

* * *

It had been roughly four days since the incident and now was the last day of training. All the tributes trained together and went to make an alliance. As much as you wanted to try, you didn’t make any allies. Sure the District One tributes were good to you along with District Four but Jesse seemed to have dibs on the Career’s. You’d watch as the cowboy would casually start flirting with the group, the laughter of them wafted through the training arena. There was no way you were going to ally yourself  with the same team as Jesse. It wasn’t worth it!

“(F/N), your potato’s are getting cold.” Silvia’s dainty voice seemed to snap you out of your stupor. You looked down at your plate, no steam emitted off the potato, your butter on the said food soaked into it.

“I’m not hungry anymore.” All you could offer was a mumble as you pushed your plate away, the once dying whale of your stomach now content with the meat. Jack frowned, “You need your strength.”

“Today’s the last day of training and then tomorrow’s the lethal ratings. I think I’ll be fine.” Jack closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh; he was going to lecture you.

“Excuse me.” The words were soft as snow but as sharp as an icicle as you excused yourself from the table, making your way over to the main door and left in a hurry to get away from them.

Usually you were supposed to go to the training room with your district mentor and your supposed partner. It wasn’t unheard of for tributes to make it down to training at separate times. The earliest you could go in was at five in the morning but the latest you could stay was six in the evening, so then no one could stay overnight and have a slight edge to the ratings and games. Your tennis shoes made no noise in the hallway, before pausing at the elevator.

You pressed the only button, the elevator granting you access. You pressed the basement button and felt the elevator close its doors with a rumble, smoothly descending down the concrete prison. District One was probably training, same with Four, but you hoped there would be more tributes. That way you can at least have one ally during this whole nightmare of a fiasco.

“Excuse me?” Damn, you needed to stop zoning out, it was going to get you killed. Focusing in back to reality, you were confronted with a dark sinned man, somewhat muscular with a dark skinned girl standing next to him. He looked concerned and the girl looked quite friendly.

“Yes?” You raised an eyebrow. No other tributes have approached you so this was a first. The man smiled and held out his hand, “The name’s Lucio,” you shook his hand, his voice already stimulating energy into your body. He made a gesture to the girl standing next to him, “and this is my friend Efi.” Now you recognized them, they were from District Eleven, agriculture was what the district majored in. A smile beamed onto your face as giddiness and happiness seemed to replace the depression that once held strong.

“Nice to meet you guys, my name’s (F/N).”

“Oh!” Efi happily beamed yet seemed cautious as her left arm was tucked behind her back, the hand grasping her right arm in discomfort.

“You’re from District Two. I heard you’re very dangerous.”

Indeed you were. You beat everyone in hand-to-hand combat minus Jesse. He and you were purposely separated to prevent another “incident”. You still didn’t believe him. He shot you with a damn slingshot on purpose! Shaking away the memory, you continued on, “Are you guys going back up to your suite?”

“Nah,” Lucio happily replied, waving his hand with dismissal, “we were waiting for our mentor but knowing him, he gave up on us. He’s a big scary dude nicknamed Doomfist.” You did see the videos from that specific game and he beat everyone. Literally.

“You know I can teach you right?” It was a simple offer. A nice way to make allies while picking up some skills from them if possible. Efi seemed to brighten even more at the prospect, “Really?”

“Yeah, no problem!”

“Awesome! Let’s get started!” Lucio fist pumped the air as he eagerly took the lead into the training facility. Walking into the blue room again, you watched as the District One tributes, Hana and Alexander, destroy robots in the southwest corner with crossbows. District Four tributes were testing their knots in the survival area. No hints as to what the environment was yet but you had a feeling your designers were going to reveal it on the last night of Training Week.

Lucio made it to the center of the room, the sparring area where hand-to-hand combat was performed. With his hands on his hips, he offered, “You can teach us how to fight and we’ll teach you whatever you want.” As you thought on it, you didn’t know agriculture very well. It’d be useful to learn what’s edible and what’s not. As you were thinking about it, a feeling of danger crept up your back. You snapped around grabbing an arm and with all your momentum, you swung the attacker into the ground between yourself and Lucio.

“Ouch!” A low groan was your answer as you rolled your eyes in dismay. It was freaking Jesse!

“What do you want?” You snapped, not appreciating his action. Lucio raised an eyebrow.

“I take it you’re not friends with him?”

“No, we’re not friends.”

Jesse seemed to ignore Lucio as he growled up at you. He dusted himself off, rising to his feet. He didn’t look happy and in all honesty you wouldn’t feel the same if the roles were reversed.

“Jack wanted to know what’s gotten into you lately.”

“Mind clarifying it?”

“You’re avoidant as all hell.”

“Just leave me alone.” You hissed as you stepped past him and towards Lucio, “If you teach me about edible flora and fauna, I’d be happy to teach you how to fight.”

“I accept,” Lucio’s smile turned into a nervous smile as he pointed at Jesse, “but I recommend you talk to him before we start. You didn’t seem to give him a whole answer.”

“Thanks.” A dull blunt answer from Jesse to Lucio. Lucio deserved a bit more enthusiasm since he just oozes an excitable happiness you never knew to exist. A gloved hand pulled you away from Lucio and to a secluded part of the training room, specifically a bit closer to Hana and Alexander. Jesse roughly shoved you against the wall his voice lowering low to hint at his dangerous demeanor, “I don’t know what is going on with you but I want to get something straight: what happened with the slingshot was an accident.”

“Oh yeah?” You snarled back, turning around and raising a bit of your hair up to show Jesse the damage to the base of your skull, “Some how you accidently let go of the rock which managed to find the only soft spot of my skull?” You turned back around, spitting out your own venom at the him. He didn’t appreciate it as he leaned in closer, his angry hot breath tickling your nose, “Jack wants to know why the hell you’ve been avoiding us. He recommends we go with the Careers to survive yet you’re not mingling with them.”

“Well excuse me, I’ve been told to stay away from you and that’s what I’m doing.” You pushed Jesse off, your hands seemed to tingle pleasantly at the well toned chest from the days of training. Yup here comes the feelings you don’t want to feel right now. You brushed passed him coldly and joined Lucio on the training mat.

“Alright, show me how you fight.”

* * *

It was evening when you returned back from training. Jesse didn’t want to stick along after you started teaching Lucio and Efi how to fight. They offered an alliance you happily accepted, not inclined to join the Career’s with Jesse. It was awkward during dinner. No one spoke, the sound of silverware clattering against plates were the only noise allowed to be heard. Simple meal: chicken with Alfredo noodles. It was delicious, a meal you wanted to savor for as long as you could.

“(Y/N), how was training?” Your eyes met Silvia’s, the silver sponsor’s voice very soft as she acknowledged you. As though you were a wounded animal. If you thought about it hard enough, in a sense, you were a wounded animal.

“She trained and made an alliance with the people from District Eleven.” Jesse answered, stuffing a mouthful of noodles in his mouth. All silverware seemed to drop to the plates in shock. Your head snapped to Jesse, eyes widened with surprise. How would he know about it? He wasn’t even there!

“Is this true?” Jack’s voice was prepared to chew you out. Your years of recognizing emotions paid off. It didn’t matter in the end, you were going to be another tribute in the arena.

“Yes, and they have proven themselves to be quite helpful.”

“Why did you not go with the Careers?” Jack asked, his voice clearly reflecting the disappointment he had in you. Telling Jack you avoided the Careers was because you were avoiding Jesse wasn’t going to fly. He would point out Jesse wasn’t around the Career’s today which would’ve been a useful time to make allies. Let’s see if this excuse will work.

“I didn’t find the Careers appealing. Hana and Alexander were only focused on improving their strengths instead of their weaknesses and the people from District Four didn’t seem to be interested in allying themselves with me.”

“Allies make the difference in the games, and just because the Careers don’t want to engage you in conversation nor want to improve on their weaknesses, didn’t give you the reason not to make them allies.”

That obviously didn’t work. You tried to tune out Jack’s lecture except it seemed to take a tune of its own in your head. His rough alto voice was accompanied by the iambic pentameter of his words, a nice tune if it wasn’t scolding you currently.

“I don’t know what has gotten into you for the past few days but you need to be fully aware of your situation. In roughly three days, you’re going to be in the arena fighting for your own life. The Careers would’ve given you a guarantee for sponsors. That’s crucial to survival in this game it could’ve given you supplies you might not be able to grab at the Cornucopia. Safety is in numbers, (F/N). You should know that better than anyone here!”

This time, it was Jack who implied Jesse wasn’t from your district. Why weren’t you getting any straight answers here? Frustrated, you remained silent, taking a sip of water. A shuffle from behind you led you to look over your shoulder to the silent Avox, his amber eyes almost relaxing you in a sense.

“Excuse-”

“You’re not excused.” Jack’s voice sharp voice cut the air. You balked a bit at his rudeness to let you leave. What’s their problem with you? It feels like everyone is ganging up on you! One more sip of water before you settled into your chair, plate empty.

“Jack, she’s finished.” Silvia’s light voice tittered away as the Avox grabbed your plate, disappearing out of your line of sight.

“I’m not finished.” He wiped a napkin across his lips as the Avox appeared again and took the dish out of his way. Jack pushed his chair back a bit, turning his body to face yours. You dare not turn to him, it wasn’t going to change anything.

“You need to realize what kind of position you put yourself into. You’re now enemies with Jesse, the Careers probably will kill you now that you didn’t align yourself with them, and to top it all off, you are now allies with two people from one of the poorest and uneducated districts this country has to offer. What are you thinking?”

Frustration gnawed at your stomach, emotional fatigue plagued your brain, and with resignation you laid it all out, “First of all, Jesse shot me with a damn slingshot against the only vulnerable spot of my skull and it takes a lot of accuracy to make a shot like that. There’s no such thing as dumb luck. Second, Jesse is more of a destructive force than a helpful source. I see him as a way to get myself killed.” Okay the second point you made up but you didn’t care at this point. Silvia was whispering at you to stop while Jesse’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits of a predator and Jack mimicking him.

“Third, I saw potential in Lucio and Efi. I don’t care if you see nothing but they have proven themselves to be quite dangerous foes like their instructor, Doomfist. They are also resourceful as they have taught me skills that my district never taught me. And last of all, I know what I’m getting myself into. You think I volunteered in this game for the glory? No, I didn’t! If you remembered what the hell I told the damn district,” Your voice climbed higher in volume, showing how angry you were, body trembling with the need to lash out, to kill. “then you’d know I knew I was doing this from the beginning. That I was putting myself on the chopping block to save my friend and her growing family. I am tired of you guys pestering me. I am done and you know what I’ll be happy to step on the mine before the games actually start.”

You hadn’t realized you were out of your seat until you finished your sentence. Your mentor was sitting in his seat, trying to plaster a stony face of indifference yet in his eyes you saw the concern, the worry of the answer you supplied him and Jesse was zoned out. You didn’t look back at Silvia, instead you opted to swiftly exit the living room, making your way back to your room. You didn’t stop for anything. Not for Jack’s voice yelling for you or for Silvia’s plea begging you to reconsider your choice of words.

You didn’t stop until you reached the confines of your room, locking the door and fleeing to the window overlooking the Capitol. The bright lights dotted the inky black sky, neon colors blinking in and out in different rhythms and patterns. Staring out into the night, you tuned out the voices behind the door; knuckles, fists, and fingers rapping against the metal to gain your attention.

Hot tears streamed down your cheek, heavy lead sinking your heart to your stomach, and the burdens you never wanted people to know about still weighed on your mind. This time, you had let go and it felt relieving in a sense yet now you were faced with a few more obstacles until the games started. The music in your head seemed to wait for your permission to play their haunting tune to your mood.

For once, you gave them permission and let them create all types of sorrowful music as you cried yourself to sleep.

 


	5. Lethiality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Y/N): Your Name  
> (F/N): First Name  
> (L/N): Last Name  
> (F/C): Favorite Color

Sleep was present yet it didn’t give you any relief. The music was very soft, barely noticeable at this point in your stupor state. A light flute piped up every once in awhile. Black oblivion was all you could see until your sixth sense slammed hard against your skull, rousing you from your emotional breakdown. Something always woke you up, whether it was your mother telling you to get ready for training or the sound of gates opening to Victor’s Village. Groggily, you forced your eyes open, eyelashes glued together from your tears. Distortion made your mind spin, causing you to momentarily panic, your mind trying to fit the puzzle pieces together.

A face with green hair grounded your vision and the panic vanished as you recognized your surroundings. Metallic blue walls shined from the city lights outside, the sky lightening up from the incoming sunrise. Exhaustion ate at your body as you rose up, scooting back so you were sitting up, your plush pillows supporting your back. Wiping the grime from your eyes, you realized the Avox was sitting on your bed, staring at you with a tiny smile.

Didn’t you lock the door?

As though reading your mind, the Avox scanned the room for something, before trying to pantomime what he did. He bent forward a bit and taped the air with his fingers, and then with two fingers, made the walk motion.

“You hacked my door and snuck in?”

He shook his head. You tilted your head in confusion as the Avox tried again. This time when he did the hacking pantomime, every time he pushed a button, he would hold up the numbers on his hand.

9-0-5-7-1 Oh! Now you get it!

“You know the code to my room.” The Avox beamed a bright smile at you as you finally understood how he got in. As much as you’d like to interpret his pantomime, you knew it’d take too long to interpret before today started. You bent over to your nightstand and pulled out a notebook along with a pen. These were reserved for the tribute’s final thoughts or for their last message to their families.

“I hope you know how to write.” The Avox happily took the notebook from you and flipped to an empty page, scribbling down in sloppy yet legible writing: **My name is Genji Shimada**

You smiled at him, “I’m glad I can actually talk to you and even get to know your name.” Happiness replaced the after currents of your emotional breakdown, making you sit up straighter and pay more attention to Genji as he wrote down: **Sorry if I snuck in but I wanted to make sure you were okay.** It was hard to forget what you said to your sponsor and your escort. You deflated a bit. You were tired, stressed, and emotional. As much as you wanted to lie to Genji about how you feel, you needed to at least voice your concerns especially about Jesse.

Scanning the room for any signs of an eavesdropper, you dropped your voice to barely a whisper: “I’m not okay. Something weird is going on.”

Genji raised an eyebrow before you continued, “What I said to the others last night is some of the concerns on my mind. There’s one other thing that’s been bugging me and that’s Jesse, the other tribute.” The Avox climbed onto the bed and sat next to you, the notebook resting in his lap as he gestured for you to continue your story.

Taking a deep breath, you let everything spill out into the air.

“It started on the train. He made subtle hints that he’s not from our district. Hell he doesn’t even look like someone from out district since everyone looks angelic while he looks rugged, famished, hell like a ghost when I first saw him. He even knows how to shoot a firearm even though those are reserved for Peacekeepers and my district is the district for Peacekeepers to train at. And then yesterday, Morrison was the one who pretty much said Jesse isn’t from District Two. I don’t know what’s going on but I have an extremely bad feeling about this.”

You paused for a minute and wondered if you should continue talking or just leave it. The scratch of pen and paper turned your head to Genji as he wrote out: **That is a little weird. It would explain why Jesse talks about the days he was alone and listened to no one.**

Red flags and warning bells bounced around in your head, the music in your head screaming out danger. What the hell Jesse! Where are you from and what the hell are you doing?!

“What else did he say?” It came out rushed only because Genji might help you figure out this mystery before you headed into the arena. The Avox zoned out for a bit in thought. Jesse probably swore Genji to secrecy about his life. You know you would if you were keeping a secret from the other tribute. After a while, Genji began writing again, this time he seemed to be choosing his words carefully.

**Jesse said he’s from a different ~~dis~~ place in the district. That you wouldn’t understand. Morrison talks to Jesse a lot about a guy named ~~Rays Rezez~~ someone they both know very well. I’m sorry.**

You nodded in understanding. Confidentiality is something you respected although now you were thrown in a weird loop. Who were those two talking about? What were they up to? Something you could mull on later. In all actuality, you wanted to relax for a while and why not with an Avox who can keep secrets?

“Let’s get off this subject. Genji, can you tell me about yourself?” Genji’s eyes widened in surprise. He probably wasn’t used to people being nice or nonetheless wanted to get to know him a bit better. He quirmed a bit in anxiety and you reassured him you wouldn’t tell anyone.

“I know it’s taboo to talk to you. I won’t be telling anyone about our conversations.” If you thought about it, Morrison and Jesse will probably leave you alone. Silvia on the other hand would instigate reasons on why you said those things at dinner. Nothing that would suspect Genji visiting you. He seemed to relax a bit as he wrote: **I used to live in District One with my brother, Hanzo.**

Wait, Hanzo was a tribute from that district. You furrowed your brow as you watched Genji write more about himself: **We were a great family and always had each other’s back. That was until it came down to a decision which ultimately made me what I am today.** Genji pulled back his yukata of red to show multitudes of slash marks against his torso, some metal covering his body and you realized his dominant hand was a metal prosthetic same with both of his legs. Your hands covered your mouth in horror. What decision caused this much pain for him? His face softened as he continued on: **I fell in love with someone whom I wasn’t supposed to love. She was kind and I wanted to be with her. I wanted to drop everything and leave with her. My brother was a puppet and followed obediently, it led to this fate.**

He swept his arm out to gesture to your room. You frowned sadly at him. Denied happiness and forced into obedient servitude. His face was sorrowful, the scars on his face seemed to make the young man seemed more tired, more real. Pity took over your heart as Genji seemed to slip into a depression. His eyes were glistening with tears as he stared down at the notebook. Maybe you shouldn’t have but you did anyways.

You clambered out from underneath the covers, Genji remained in his spot, lost in his memories. It was good as you moved behind him and hugged him, arms encircling his torso, your face pressed against the back of his neck. He stiffened underneath your touch and you hoped he didn’t see this as intimate but rather as your original intention: comfort, security, anything that could convey how sorry you felt for Genji and that he didn’t deserve this life. Nobody did.

Genji started shaking, as warm tear drops fell onto your hands. You hugged him a bit tighter as he quietly cried, obviously trying not to make any noises to alert the others he was in your room.

“I’m so sorry Genji.” You offered, closing your eyes. You could only imagine what he was feeling: anger, sorrow, fear, loss, and a hurricane of emotions you both weren’t able to cope with alone. Tremors shook the poor Avox’s body as he tried to calm himself down enough to write. You popped your head over his shoulder and watched as he wrote out: **Can you do me a favor?**

“Depends.”

**If you live through the Games, could you try and find someone for me?**

“I’ll try my best.” District Two tributes could get away with almost anything and maybe finding someone would be one of those exceptions. Genji pulled away from the embrace, digging through his pocket on the inside of his yukata and pulled out a simple necklace. The necklace was made of jade and it was carved in the shape of a bird. You stared at it, amazed by the craftsmanship of the pendant. It was detailed from the head, to the wings, and it’s eyes had a feeling you could only place as happiness. Genji held out the necklace to you which prompted you to push his hand back.

“I might die in the arena and I don’t want to lose it.”

He wrote down hastily: **I know what I’m risking but if you do win, you can give this to her since the next couple nights will be the last time I have the chance to talk to you. Just please. Take it. Even if you die in the arena, she’ll recognize the necklace around your neck.**

Tears prickled at the corner of your eyes as you realized how much love and trust he’s putting in your hands. Shakily, you grabbed the necklace out of his hands and admired the little bird before you put it on. If you left it in your room somewhere, you were going to lose it.

 **She’ll know it was me. I told her my nickname as a kid was Sparrow and I remember her saying how fitting it was.** **Her name’s Angela but her nickname is Mercy. She looks like an angel.** Tears pricked at his eyes but this time he wiped them away, smiling at you.

 **Thank you.** You smiled at Genji, this time giving him a hug. He welcomed the hug and hugged you back, resting his forehead on your shoulder.

“You’re welcome Genji. Thank you for visiting me tonight.” You brought your head up to look out the window, the golden sun rising up from the horizon. Soon it’ll be time to show off your skills to receive a score to determine whether groups will gang up on you or leave you alone. Genji withdrew from the hug, rubbing at his eyes. Tears stained his cheeks and you knew he might be in trouble if he went out to serve breakfast in his current appearance.

“Go ahead and clean yourself up, I don’t want you to get into any trouble because of me.” Your voice was now calm and cool. Talking to someone about their problems made your nerves ease up on your own emotional turmoil and it was welcomed. A soft harmony of hope grew in your head, making you beam happily out at the sunlight.

The rustle of notebook turned your attention back to Genji as he held up the last message: **I’m glad we’re both happy now.** He ripped the pages from the notebook and stuffed them in his yukata before treading into the bathroom. Now you had two reasons to survive the Games and you were not going down without a fight.

* * *

After Genji left, you caught a couple more hours of sleep, your dreams of sunlight and warmth; of laughter from Rose and Octavian along with shrill cries of a toddler. Music was soft and reminiscent of the future you were happy to listen to instead of batting away the nuisances. A warmer voice perpetrated your dreams.

“Howdy sweetheart.” Jesse’s voice rang in your ears and for once, it was not unpleasant. As the dream got more visual, you were yanked suddenly from that dream by a hand tightly gripping your shoulder.

In a blind panic, you swung your fist upwards, jolting awake as your mind raced to eliminate the threat. Seriously, when will you ever catch a break?! Probably not anytime soon. Your hand was caught in a massive palm which encased your fist. Your eyes settled on Morrison who looked unimpressed.

“Panic gets you nowhere. Get ready, your lethiality rating is taking place in a couple hours.” He stood and left, cold as ice. You will never understand Morrison’s deal, same with Jesse’s. At least the insight Genji tried to explain confirmed something was going on. Enough to satisfy you temporarily. You dashed into the bathroom and took a quick shower, relaxing your soothing muscles and regenerating your emotional status. You weren’t distracted by those negative emotions anymore rather, you were filled with determination to see this through. Rose, Octavian, and now Genji were depending on you to win, to go back home.

You dried off and found a new jumpsuit made of light athletic material. It was black with silver lining, and when you pulled it on, it was sleeveless, hugged your curves, and it reached mid thigh. Hm maybe this was a hint to the Games? Somewhere warm? You readjusted the necklace, tucking it under your jumpsuit as you exited the room.

In the main area, Silvia was idly reading news-lines about the Games, humming into her tiny cup of tea. The porcelain seemed to rattle against her teeth giving this low warble noise your music now incorporated into a bouncy tune. Made you feel excited, ready to spring into action, the best music ever to play. You didn’t see Jesse nor Morrison, meaning they were in cahoots about whatever secret they were hiding but it didn’t matter, you felt a lot better than ever for the past week.

Genji appeared out of one of the doors Avox’s used to handle meals and such. He winked at you as he carried in a platter for Silvia, delicately placing it in front of her without disturbing her reading. He looked at you with a raised eyebrow. You tapped the charm under your jumpsuit quietly, reassuring him you were wearing it. A faint smile before he jutted his head to the kitchen. Oh, he wanted to know what you wanted to eat.

Silvia’s plate held a bunch of sugary pastries you shouldn’t eat before the ratings. You walked closer to him, not wanting to disturb the quiet peace with your shouting. Once in range, you softly ordered, “Toast and eggs would be ideal please.” A short nod and Genji disappeared back into the kitchen.

“Oh! (Y/N)!” You turned to Silvia who looked surprised you were up and ready. You finally acknowledged her in conversation as you sat next to her, this time not dreading the conversation, “Hi Silvia, anything interesting happening today besides the trials?” A happy smile was your reward as Silvia chimed, “Oh not much just the regular hustle and bustle of the Capitol. It’s great to see other tributes intermingle with one another especially all of the mentor’s getting together and bragging about their stories. It’s all silly really.” A tiny giggle from the both of you as you leaned back in your chair, smelling the telltale signs of your food being made. Oh shoot! You should’ve told Genji what you wanted on your toast. No matter, he’ll probably bring out the flavor packets when he serves you the food.

“So mentor’s brag about their glory days? I don’t know if I should’ve seen that coming.” Then again, the conversation about Lucio’s mentor popped up into your mind. Doomfist gave up on training both Lucio and Efi. Maybe you should find out more information?

“Hey Silvia.” She turned her body towards you. Good she’s interested now to ask, “When I was training with the tributes from eleven, they said that their mentor, Doomfist gave up on them. Is that normal or is there anything else I should know about?” Maybe a bit personal but you did want to know Doomfist’s problem with his charges. Silvia took a spoonful of what looked like pudding, lightly smacking her lips together before swallowing. She was stalling for time to respond. No biggie, sometimes people need time to respond.

That’s when she took the time to sip her tea. This stalling was intentional as you were taught by your mentors. Taking time to sip at water means you were formulating an answer same with eating but combine the two and something was suspicious. Thank god for psychological lessons. Silvia daintily tapped her lips with a cloth napkin as her eyes drifted down, “I don’t know how to tell you without making you mad at Doomfist.”

As she tried to formulate her answer, you observed her wardrobe for today. She had metallic pink sheen on her lips, and her theme seemed to be of an orchid with dark magenta starting at her clavicle and getting prgressively white as her dress went downwards. She was all metallic and shiny, her dress form fitting except down by her ankles as it flowed out. She looked lovely.

“Doomfist is a rather proud man.” Silvia started, she paused when Genji returned with your food, nodding his head as he stood waiting for the next order. Toast with packets of honey, jelly, peanut butter, and plain butter. Eggs were properly prepared and Genji was thoughtful enough to get you a  glass of water, “He has high expectations for all his charges to win the Hunger Games but they never seem to make it. If the tributes even falter a bit during training, he abandons them, and doesn’t speak about them. He shuns them and it doesn’t turn out very well.”

Geez and you thought you had a bad mentor. You spread the topping of your preference on the slice of toast, thinking about Doomfist. He won years ago with a gauntlet made to enhance his body strength, the arena was in desert ruins, and he camped at the well. Anyone who dared tried to steal water from that well got punched for the last time. Your stomach did somersaults at the visuals of the grisly deaths. You hesitantly bit into your toast and pushed the images from your mind.

“Good morning Jack, Jesse.” You inhaled the last piece of toast, shock hit your lungs as you tried not to choke on the piece. Taking another deep inhale and it stopped your throat from freaking out, the remnants of the toast went down into your stomach instead of going down the wrong pipe. Silvia seemed to notice your predicament.

“Be careful not to choke.”

“Why tell her that? She did say she’ll kill herself.” Jesse cut in. Why did he have to kick you once you were up? Might as well pretend he didn’t exist. You focused on eating the rest of your breakfast, taking a quick sip of water. You scooped up a forkful of eggs and ate them, not piping hot or cold, they were just right. Although they did need a bit of salt. You reached for the salt and tapped it over your eggs. Setting the shaker down, you resumed eating.

Conversation didn’t reach your ears as you thought about Rose and Octavian. How were they doing? Were they currently worrying about you? Or are they discussing potential baby names? Maybe thinking about what their child will do in the future. Rose probably didn’t want their kid to enter the arena but Octavian might want their child to do so. That was a fight you didn’t want to get involved with.

“(Y/N), are you paying attention?” Morrison’s gruff voice butted into your musings. You looked over at him, “No sorry.”

“I wanted to give you advice on the trials.”

“Ok.” Keep it short and simple. You can handle this. You turned your body towards Morrison, giving him your full undivided attention. He eyed you up and down as though doubting you’d listen but you did.

“Try to make an impression on the Gamemakers. They’ll be eating lunch and drinking heavily. Try to stand out whether by how you say, act, or fight but you need to make a good impression. It’ll give you good scores. The higher the score, the less likely you’ll be hunted.”

Straight to the point. Good. A subtle kick to your shin drew your attention to Jesse. He was dressed like you and you had to hold back a snicker as his hair was pulled back in a small ponytail. He looked a bit funny but it showed off his nice features. He wasn’t gaunt like a ghost and he seemed more handsome? Whoa, did you just compliment him? Oh crap, you did have feelings for the jerk?

Your stomach fluttered with butterflies. Yup, you were falling for him and it wasn’t good. It’s going to distract you from surviving the games. Now you had too many people depending on you. You blinked your eyes trying to clear your thoughts.

“What’s with the eyes?” Jesse grumbled, shoving bacon in his mouth. When did he get food? You pushed the thought away again as you simply replied, “My vision went blurry for a minute.” A lie but it was good enough as Jesse resumed eating.

“Once you’re done eating Jesse, we all need to head down to the training area for the ratings.” You shrugged your shoulders as Genji took the empty plate from you, shooting you a smile. A smile came back on your face. You got this in the bag, there were no doubts about it. 

* * *

 

A clamor of noise smashed against your ears rather painfully. It was a lot noisier than usual. People trained in silence except for the grunts and moans of pain from the training. All the tributes were sitting together, shoulder to shoulder outside of a door leading to the training area. Right, the right wall would show the judges of your lethiality rate.

“Yo!” You spun in time to hug Lucio who hugged you in greeting. He picked you up and spun you in a full circle before putting you down. Morrison and Jesse shot daggers at Lucio but you ignored them. Jesse had the Careers and you had District Eleven. A good enough alliance for your taste. Efi ran from her chair and hugged you with the same enthusiasm. A laugh bubbled out from your chest, “It’s good to see you guys again!”

“Yeah we’ve been practicing the moves you taught us!” Efi giggled, eyeing your mentor and Jesse curiously. Oh right, mentors weren’t allowed down here. They were going to escort you down and leave you to impress the judges.

“You know you’re lucky (Y/N).”

“What do you mean by that?” You asked. You were a bit confused at the statement but Lucio explained, “They’re going to be dead drunk by the time Efi and I go up to show off our skills.” He looked defeated. You looked over your shoulder at Morrison and pondered about what he said. Standing out was the way to get a good rating.

“Surprise the Gamemakers. Do something spontaneous that’d make them jump.” You told them. A strong hand grabbed your shoulder and yanked you away from your friends, dragging you down towards the training area.

“(Y/N), when I give you advice, I expect you to keep it, not share it to other tributes.” Morrison growled angrily. You didn’t fight much anymore and you were surprised when Jesse came to defend you.

“Come on Jack, (Y/N) was trying to help her allies stay safe. You’d do the same if your allies were coming up short.” You didn’t know whether you should thank Jesse for standing up for District Eleven or feel insulted for them. Lucio and Efi make up in scavenging for what they lack in combat. Lucio was adeptly strong but he was more specialized in medicine as he taught you basic first aid you didn’t know about. Efi was not a fighter and yet she made up in ingenuity. She was crafty and clever. You had teased her yesterday when she had built a miniature sensor made out of random junk scraps. You told her she must’ve escaped District Three with a brain like hers.

Jarred from your thoughts, you were shoved into a seat, Jesse occupying the empty seat to your right. Morrison left in a huff. Was something wrong with him?

“He’s crabby about what you said last night.” Jesse looked to you, a frown being suppressed. You made a face of understanding, trying not to go there. It was humiliating in all honesty. You nodded before staring at the blank wall. Silence tugged at the air. Hey did you miss something? It was noisy one minute and now it was so quiet, a subtle shift of body parts hurt your ears.

“Alexander Satchel.” The intercom barked out. The District One tribute stood up sharply and disappeared behind sliding doors. You refused to get nervous.

“Will you talk to me?” Jesse whispered hoarsely. Not here. There were too many people; it could probably wait until you both went back up to your suite.

“Not right now.” You cringed at how loud you were in the gaping silence. Eyes seemed to stare at you. Was it paranoia? Or were you actually being eyes? Jesse leaned into your ear, his hot breath tickling your ear, “After the judging?”

You could only nod.

“Hana Song.” The girl sitting next to Jesse whooped with joy as she dashed into the door. Your heart started racing. Soon it’ll be your turn and you didn’t know how to impress the judges. You felt your lungs increase their air intake at shallow rates. Oh damn! You shouldn’t be hyperventilating!

“Calm down.” Jesse looped his arm around your shoulders and gave you a reassuring squeeze. Since when did he become all touchy feely? And when did he get so nice? Shaking your head, you focused on steady breaths. You closed your eyes until, “Jesse McCree.”

Jesse slowly withdrew his arm and stood up slowly. He looked over his shoulder at you, “Good luck.” He disappeared behind the doors, essentially leaving you alone. Maybe it was a blessing, it’ll give you time to think about your next move. So you need to stand out and it has to be lethal. Maybe you should show off your punching skills? Nah too basic. Maybe climb the rafters of the training area? That could work but something must be impressive. The music you have long since ignored squeaked. Oh wait!

“(F/N) (L/N).” Oh no! You weren’t given enough time! You stood up from your seat as fast as you could before fast walking into the training area. The far right wall was opened to reveal ten men all fat and portly feasting on numerous elegant dishes while sipping red wine. The music in your head quietly played the predater’s tune. Your eyes felt as though they were shrinking; they were morphing into the crocodile’s sight. You only had to wait for the signal to begin. Bloodlust overtook your senses.

“Begin.”

Your eyes darted to the weapons rack on the other side of the room. You ran over and grabbed a handful of weapons. You tucked them under your arm as you practically leapt into the rafters like you did a long time ago to escape your instructors. The music in your ears was loud and made your adrenaline pump with instincts and gradification. Curious gasps came from below; lets show them what you have to offer! You threw each weapon into the target. All hit their targets: between the eyes, the heart, and in the throat where a major artery lies. You held the last weapon in your hand, a trident, and you had to be daring. You threw it with all your might into the Gamemakers box, all of them scrambling for cover as the trident nailed the full pig directly into the ceramic plate. You jumped out of the rafters and landed quietly on your feet.

A twirl turned into a simple bow and the sliding door opened wide enough for you to leave. Down the hallway you walked, a lot more brightly lit than the hallway leading to the training area. Must be psychological warfare for impending dread heading in yet a false sense of relief walking out. It made people naturally confident maybe even cocky?

You reached the elevator and headed back to your suite, hoping against all hope you got a high score along with Lucio and Efi. It’d guarantee other tributes to leave you guys alone. Quietly you pressed the second floor, wishing you had the penthouse suite. It was so then you could see the Capitol at a higher position, making a better view than the one you currently had. The doors opened to the blue hallways you were familiar with. Hesitantly you walked forward. Why would Jesse want to talk to you? Maybe an apology for being mean to you for the past week?

As you opened the door, you encountered the video feed of what had happened only moments ago. It was strange watching yourself as a predator. Your eyes were filled with bloodlust, your movements quick and graceful as you flung yourself into the rafters. Sticking to the shadows as though they were your natural habitat, you stayed low to the rafter and whipped out the weapons at high speeds, slamming into lethal wound areas on the dummy until you threw the last weapon.

“Oh my! I didn’t know she was so talented!” Silvia’s voice was dreamy as the video of you doing an elegant twirl, bow, and another twirl out the door.

“Never knew she could do that.” Jesse’s back was to you, your bloodlust was still in your mind a bit. It’d be easy to tackle him, bring him down to his knees, and choke him out. Your footsteps were light and silent as you were trained, standing behind the couch where Morrison, Silvia, and now Jesse sat on. Morrison muttered, “She’s an expert at infiltration. I know that kind of training anywhere.”

“Such elegant kills for such an elegant lady.” Silvia purred as she stood up and turned. She screeched at the sight of you, startling Jesse from his seat, and Morrison jumping to his feet in defense. Looks like Morrison has his problems with people sneaking up on him too. Silvia relaxed.

“You scared the Gamemakers, (Y/N).” A giggle from your escort brightened your day. It means you did your job right. Putting your hands on your hips, you leaned forward a bit, “I was trained to fight ever since I could walk. It shouldn’t be a surprise since I am from a Career district.”

“Now let’s see if it pays off.” Morrison grunted. You turned towards your room and closed the door behind you. As much as this athletic suit was comfy, you opted to wear comfy sweats since you weren’t going anywhere until tomorrow. You walked over to the dresser and pulled out long black sweat pants and (F/C) tank top. Kicking off your boots, you unzipped the front of your athletic suit, shimmying it off your body. Throwing on your clothes, you were about to leave when the door parted away to reveal Jesse in mid motion to knock on the door.

“Can I help you Jesse?” You asked politely about to walk out of the room. Instead, Jesse pushed you back into your room and closed your door behind him, locking it too. Oh right, he wanted to talk to you.

“Listen I just want to know if you meant it.”

“The “I’ll be happy to jump on the mine” thing?” You squeaked out. You really didn’t want to talk about it since you were now regretting ever suggesting it in the first place. Jesse sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Yeah that. Did you mean it?”

You stuck your tongue into the side of your cheek in thought. Should you tell him you took it back? That now you were fighting not only to return home and meet your goddaughter but to fulfill the promise you made to Genji?

“Last night I meant it but now I’m not sure.” Half a lie to Jesse. You weren’t going to trust him with everything you were feeling currently. He was a jerk this morning and for the past week. The only time he was nice was on the way to the Capitol even then it was sympathetic and not friendly. His rude demeanor even extended to the slingshot injury you sustained.

Jesse gave a short exhale through his nose before strolling over to the bed to sit on. You raised an eyebrow at his actions.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

“I haven’t heard that line in a long time.” Jesse laughed dryly as you strode over to the bed and sat on it too. You waited for Jesse to say something, anything instead of this awkward silence. Patience won out in the end as Jesse finally muttered, “The Careers want you to join them and ditch your friends.”

Damn! You thought Jesse would explain his irrational behavior. Now it explained why he was being nice to you for the first time this week. Trying to woe you over to the Career pact even though you already made a group who valued your skills, were friendly, and were in diverse areas of survival. The Careers seemed more focused on killing than survival. Didn’t Morrison teach Jesse survival comes first then murder? Although you couldn’t really argue against that since you weren’t listening to Morrison for the whole week.

“Jesse I’m not joining and that’s final.” Your voice was stern, strong like the sneaky crocodile you are. Jesse’s eyes narrowed at you. When will this guy ever stop glaring at you? Seriously it needs to stop!

“Look Jesse-” You were about to make your case when Jesse angrily stood up from your bed and angrily hissed out, “Why can’t you see that I’m trying to help you?”

“I get Careers can get you through the games but these Careers are only focused on killing and not surviving. I was trained to fight but when it came down to surviving, I knew nothing.”

“So you’d rather die with people who know how to survive but don’t know how to fight?”

“Yes!” You barked out. Okay, you didn’t mean to make it sound harsh but you wanted Jesse to stop badgering you to join his group. You knew what you were doing and plus you wouldn’t be able to work with him. He was too dominant and you didn’t want to be pushed around a lot.

Jesse’s lips curled in disgust, “You have the mindset of the lower districts and that’s what’s going to get you killed.” He stood from your bed, his body tense with anger. Oh boy, he was itching for a fight. You wanted to screw with him so you were going to pull a very bad card from your hand but first you needed to be out of his reach and in the safety of the doorway. You strolled past Jesse without looking at him.

So far so good.

The door parted to let you leave and before you left, what Jesse said next gave you the opportunity for the douche card.

“What no witty retort?”

“Nah, I don’t lower myself to people who aren’t from my district.”

“What the **fuck** did you say?!” Uh-oh! You sprinted down the hall as fast as you could, throwing yourself into the air and landing on the couch, Morrison and Silvia sitting at the dining table.

“What is going on?” Silvia gasped and that’s when a heavier weight landed on top of you. Shit! Jesse was going to pummel the crap out of you. Before your defensive instincts could kick in, Jesse was hauled off you, throwing himself against Morrison’s arms as he tried to land either a punch or a kick on you.

“McCree! Knock it off!” Morrison’s voice was loud, reverberating off the walls and marble tile. It shook you at how loud he could get. You felt gentle prodding and Silvia helped you to your feet, treating you as though Jesse had caused physical harm to you. Kind of true yet in this scenario, it was false. You struck a nerve that shouldn’t have been hit.

“I’ll kill you, you stupid bitch!” Jesse hissed at you as he still struggled against Morrison. You shakily got to your feet, the music in your head now quiet in a cunning tune. Maybe you should feel bad you gave off the illusion that Jesse had been hurting you and is still trying to harm you but you didn’t for the pain he put you through.

“I want an explanation. Now.” Morrison growled dangerously. Your lips formed a flat line. Great, what should you say now? Be more of an extra douche or come clean? Nah might as well come clean about what you said. That way you’re not caught in a lie.

“Jesse wanted me to join the Careers. I said no, then he insulted my team. I was leaving and Jesse actually asked if I had a witty retort. I gave him a witty retort and it led to this.” You gestured to the area where the rest of the events played itself out. Silvia shook her head in silence, while Morrison looked down at Jesse before looking at you again.

“That’s what happened?”

“Yes.”

“Jesse?”

The other tribute angrily shrugged out of Morrison’s hold and stared daggers at you. Another reason why you don’t want to ally yourself with him: he lost his temper too many times. It’d ultimately get you all killed. Jesse muttered out, “Yeah it’s true.” For a minute you thought Morrison was going to lecture you since he leveled a stern glare at you but instead he glared at Jesse, “You’re fighting over something you caused? Did you really expect (Y/N) to roll over and take your punches? You’re underestimating her which is your mistake and that mistake can cause you your life when you’re in the arena.”

(Y/N): 1 Jesse: 0

* * *

As things settled down for the night, Silvia had ordered an extravagant dinner of every rich food your family has had for parties. As much as you love the food, you could only eat one dish or else you’d get sick as previous encounters have taught you. Later your stylists came in to meet and get to know you as the ceremony was tomorrow along with the interviews and then off to start the Games.

Your stylist’s name was Thistle RabbleDod. He was an older gentleman with a pointed white beard, white bushy eyebrows, slicked back hair, kind green eyes, and dark skin. Thistle’s signature color was a vibrant blue with golden accents and wore a white undershirt underneath his fancy suit with archaic patterns. You immediately hit it off with this man, he easily dissolved an awkward tension you had around Jesse and your mentor. Turned out he had designed District One’s Victor, Ana Amari, the woman you loved when you were a little girl.

“She was a nice girl. Lovely and deadly as I like to say.” Thistle remarked with a laugh when he had asked you about your favorite costume on any tribute. He happily took notes on his portable device, obviously using them for reminders tomorrow.

“Are you going to make Jesse and I match tomorrow?” It was a question you wanted an answer to since all costumes did match the theme of the district.

“Of course! We just want to see if you and Jesse have any similarities. Don’t worry, I promise you’ll be the most beautiful girl introduced for the Games. I guarantee it!”

You blushed at the statement and was about to instigate for more information when Silvia shushed you.

“It’s starting.”

The screen showed off the District One tribute, face in a forever scowl. “Alexander Satchel: 9.” The announcers voice boomed. Silvia seemed interested yet didn’t make any remarks. No one in the room made noise as the next tribute popped on screen. She was pretty with long brown hair, an adorable face like a cherub, and her emotion seemed to express positivity. “Hana Song: 7.”

Jesse’s face appeared on screen. His face was lit with a confidence you have never seen before. Why did he act so cold around you while acting happy around others? Did he have a vendetta against you? “Jesse McCree: 12.” Cheers sounded from everyone except for you and Morrison.

“Wait!” You don’t know who said that but you knew why they wanted the celebration to stop. Your face had popped on screen and your breath hitched. Someone had captured your face when you were in your predator mode. Your eyes were filled to the brim with bloodlust, your face was strong, and if you looked closely enough, a tiny smirk was on your face.

“(F/N) (L/N)…” It seemed on pause forever and when you got your score, you felt your skin grow cold and clammy with realization. Only one more day. One more day before that rating was going to reflect how you did in the arena and how many people were going to target you. Your skin went cold.

"12."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah I kind of lied. I wrote this today and I decided to update this story every Saturday since it's my only free day. So hopefully we don't have any more delays on this story! Have a nice day you guys!


	6. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Y/N): Your Name

Everything was silent for once in this noisy suite. Tomorrow was the opening ceremonies and interviews. It should be easy to sleep, knowing it was going to be an easy day with little to no physical demands. Except you can’t sleep. You were replaying the events of yesterday over and over and over again. Delight wiggled its way into your chest when Jesse looped his arm around your shoulders and was concerned about your well-being. Freezing ice stabbed your chest when you thought about how Jesse nearly tried to kill you when you had retorted you didn’t dip to his level since he wasn’t from your district. Why do you feel as though you betrayed him? That answer was something you could answer: you had betrayed your partner. Tributes chosen from the same district stuck together during the Games, keeping each other alive as long as they could; they were morally supportive, keeping spirits up until one of them perished whether from murder, illness, or other nasty surprises waiting in the arena. As you looked back, Jesse had offered you a group with safety because of their professional training and how he wished you luck before going in to get the lethal score. He wanted to make sure you were okay after you had threatened suicide once you were standing on the platform.

Fingers found the sparrow pendant resting in the dip between your neck and the two collarbones leading to the dip. Your thumb traced over the head of the sparrow as you stared up at the ceiling. Guilt was riding your brain. Your mind drifted to Jesse once again. Is Jesse awake still? Mulling about the day like you were?

You bolted out of bed when you heard screaming coming down the hallway. Sounded like the person was getting murdered! You sprinted out of your bedroom and down the hall towards the main room. Genji had beaten you to the room, rapidly punching in the room code.

“Who’s in this room?” You asked, your predatory senses tried to bubble to the surface yet you forced them down. Someone needed your help and they did not deserve to be slaughtered like your instincts were telling you to do. The door slid open as the screaming continued, you followed Genji inside and were shocked on who was stuck in their nightmare. Jesse, thrashing against the covers as though he was fighting for his life, his throat probably raw as you heard the terrified screams drop in frequency. Without thinking, you rushed over and cradled him in your arms, lightly tapping on his cheek to your best ability. He was moving around too much and he wasn’t conscious about his actions.

“Jesse! You’re safe! You’re safe!” You tried to keep your voice quiet to not disturb your sponsor and escort (yet at the volume of Jesse’s they can sleep through this?) Jesse’s body curled into yours, his head turned into your lap as Genji rolled him into you. Attention was snapped back to Jesse as he roused from his slumber. He seemed kind of confused until his head snapped up to you. His eyes were red and puffy, his hair screwed up by his thrashing, and his breathing was hard as though he was trying to run away from something.

For all you knew, he was running away from something in his dream. You both stared at one another, unsure of what to do next. Genji walked over to where Jesse could see him and when you looked over your shoulder, Genji was nodding his head. Jesse sat up, wiping away the sweat that accumulated on his forehead, his voice shaky as he tried to play it off.

“What are you doing here? Trying to reenact Sleeping Beauty?”

“You were screaming in your sleep.” You quietly replied, watching Jesse as he leaned forward into his hands, covering his face. You watched his back as it rose and fell rapidly before it steadied. What scared him? The Games? Or was it something in his past? As much as you wanted to ask, you felt as though you didn’t have the right to ask after what happened earlier this evening. A low blow Jesse obviously didn’t appreciate and at the time, it felt somewhat satisfying you finally managed to hurt Jesse and get on his nerves. Now you just regretted what you said. Maybe you should leave, your presence might make the situation worse. With a sigh, you moved past Jesse and rose off the bed. You didn’t know what to say to him and for once you wished you were on good terms with him.

Before you could even take one step, a warm calloused hand grabbed your hand, “Wait!”

You froze for a minute and turned to Jesse. He looked defeated, conflicted, and what tugged at your heart was the look of fear. Not fear as in he was about to die, no, more as though he didn’t want you to leave him. Predator instincts tried to nudge their way back to your subconsciousness, to attack the weakened prey. You denied them access again as you climbed back in bed, settling against the headboard. It signaled you were willing to hear whatever the person had to say. In this case, Jesse wanted to talk to you. Jesse rested his head in your lap and it startled you since this was the first time he ever initiated an intimate touch.

When you glanced down, something in you changed. Instead of being hostile towards Jesse, your predator instincts changed to a protective nature. You didn’t know why, as this instinct came on whenever Rose was in danger; it even activated for strangers who were threatened to be punished or killed by Peacekeepers.

“I-I-” Jesse was fighting for words. He didn’t know where to start. Your hand started stroking the brown hair out of his eyes, the hair course as though it lacked proper care in years. A burst of air caught you off guard, nearly pulling your hand away from Jesse’s thick hair.

“After all the shit I’ve put you through, why are you treating me so well?” His voice was hoarse, sounding more attractive than usual. You turned your head to Genji as he took a seat on the other side of the bed, notebook and pen ready to be used. The Avox tilted his head towards Jesse. Looks like he wants you to answer Jesse’s question. What to say though? You looked down at the fellow tribute and his eyes reminded you of freshly brewed coffee. Wait, where did that come from? Softly, you tucked a piece of his hair behind his ear as you finally conjured up an answer.

“I was thinking about what I had said earlier today,” you paused as you tried to formulate the answer correctly, “and I guess I was being an asshole too.” A light huff of air and you blurted out, “I’m sorry!” Jesse’s body went tense for a second before he deflated, relaxed in your lap. He closed his eyes again, his chest breathing deeply in and out. Silence prevailed, something you could settle for until the blasted music started again! You were about to curse your luck as a soft guitar strummed softly. Huh, this wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t sad or exciting to put your nerves on edge; it was calming. Although you did want to know what had caused Jesse’s nightmares. Probably the Games but you wanted to know.

“Jesse, what were you dreaming about?” You were treading on dangerous territory as Jesse and you haven’t gotten along. A considerate hum reverberated off Jesse’s pale lips, chapped, and ready to crack. Jesse brought an arm from resting on his gut to slowly drift to your waist. He squeezed the arm, pulling himself closer to your body. The image of a rattlesnake popped into your mind. Those things were common towards the more rural areas of District Two and in all honesty, they freaked you out! Something about them curling, making noise, and then killing you made you shudder with revulsion.

A sigh from Jesse had him sit up, and look you in the eyes. You saw it. He was like you.

You hailed from a reptilian who specialized in stealth and strengths while Jesse, he was from a reptilian too but you didn’t know what he specialized in. His eyes were evaluating you before they softened in recognition. You weren’t a threat to him. Taking a deep breath, Jesse started, “I was dreaming about the Games. I was walking through a desert it was hotter than all hell.” He paused and shook his head, trying to wipe away the images. That’s what you’d do. “I was staring up at the sun when I heard a cannon shot along with screaming. I ran. I ran and ran until I heard a scream and peeking over the cliff I saw blood.” There were no joy in his words. The reptilian in him was not associated with blood. Maybe killing but not blood. His breathing picked up as he swallowed thickly, his body shaking violently, “That’s when I saw…” His voice trailed away as he closed his eyes and tears spilled down his cheeks, his body trying to fight off the sight of his dreams. Your hands cupped Jesse’s cheeks as your thumbs batted away the tears as they fell.

“Hey, you’re okay.” You cooed gently to the distraught tribute, “It was a dream. A horrible dream but a dream.” Okay you sucked at comforting since you were taught to deal with your feelings by yourself. Jesse appreciated your words as he rewarded you with a broken smile. His dark eyes opened, his eyes flickered to you as one calloused hand placed itself over one of your hands.

“Thanks.” A few moments passed before Jesse whispered, his cheeks flushing a bit, “Can you stay?” You weren’t expecting that. You could respect it though; whenever you had a nightmare, you sought comfort from Rose until you felt confident enough to sleep again. Quietly you shuffled backwards, intending to climb under the covers when Jesse stopped you. He grabbed your arms and pulled you into his chest, “Please?” Oh! He had misunderstood you. Lightly, you pushed away from his chest, enough to stare up into his eyes filled with hurt and desperation.

“I was moving towards the pillows, silly.” You stuck out your tongue playfully and Jesse’s terrified demeanor melted into relief. He let you slide from his body as he followed you under the covers, smelling of him. It smelt of smoke, wood, and something you couldn’t out your finger on. As intoxicating as it was, you had the actual person next to you. You switched sides so you faced Jesse. No surprise as he was already staring at you, his smile now sincere and dazzling. You offered a smile back, slowly closing your eyes without another sound passing between the two of you.

* * *

_Snap! Snap! Snap! That noise! It was made you tense, shaking you with suppressed rage! You were going to kill whoever was making that damn noise! You looked at the scene below, two men struggling against a crowd of Peacekeepers while one man was bound to a post, being whipped again and again and again! Somebody was going to die tonight and it wasn’t going to be the man on the post. Shadows clung to you, making you invisible to all eyes if they were searching for you. No one was expecting you. All attention were fixated on the man being severly punished. The music pounded against your skull, forcing you to move, to fight, to kill! You slowly moved back, temporarily the scene of the man being whipped disappeared from your vision. That was going to be rectified real quick! The crack of a whip made you music snap into a fast killing rhythm. You charged forward as fast as you could, adrenaline flooding your veins, and your instincts cracked into the forefront of your mind._

_Time to die! You felt weightless until your legs slammed downwards onto the Peacekeeper’s shoulders, you exerted all your force even more into his shoulders. It earned you a delicious cry of pain from the Peacekeeper. You rolled off the Peacekeeper’s shoulders and landed on your feet. The smell of copper flooded your nose sending you into your bloodlust. You spun onto your heel in time for the other Peacekeeper’s to depart, leaving four other’s to handle the men being held back. The music escalated until it was the only thing you could hear. Like a conductor for a symphony, you forced the music to obey you, to help you kill the men in front of you. One Peacekeeper fell in between your hands, the crack from his neck assuring you of his demise. No blood. The next tried to shoot you with a taser gun; you responded by grabbing his wrist and twisted it behind his back, you saw in your peripheral vision a rifle lining up to you. You hurled the Peacekeeper you held onto into the man with a rifle. It incapacitated both of them. No blood._

_“That’s enough!” You turned around to the Head Peacekeeper, Vector. He had white hair and bright blue eyes, so slick and clean. It disgusted you. He was dressed in the traditional white Peacekeeper uniform. He walked towards you and before you could lunge for an attack, Vector stopped. Smart man. Turning his head to the Peacekeepers who were lining up to get killed by your hands, Vector held his hand up in warning, “No harm to her. She’s from the (L/N) family. Besides I think we delivered our message very clearly tonight.” His cold eyes were staring behind you. The blood was coming from that direction anyways. Wary of a renewing fight, you slowly turned your head to the two men who were restrained earlier, hastily trying to untie the bound man at the post. So much blood trickled down his back._

_“Hey wake up.”_

* * *

“Five more minutes.” You groggily called out. A chuckle against your ear made you open your eyes with defeat. Jesse took up most of your view, his eyes open and a smile present instead of a scowl. Oh right, you decided to spend the night in Jesse’s room. He was a lot closer to you than you remembered. It was reminiscent of a lover being close. You didn’t seem to mind as you cuddled into the pillow as exhaustion still lingered in your system.

“Sorry to wake you up sweet pea, you were having something akin to a nightmare. I wanted to make sure you were all right.” Right, the dream where you fought the Peacekeepers. At least the bloodlust from that dream didn’t bleed into reality. Otherwise there would be no conversation at all.

“It wasn’t a nightmare.” You admitted, wondering if you could grab a few more minutes of shut eye before you had to get cleaned and ready. Jesse scooted a bit closer.

“Really? You were clawing at the sheets like crazy.” You chuckled, “I was fighting in my dream. Nothing unusual.”

“Well it better be good fighting.” Jesse teased. You both shared a laugh as Jesse sat up. His face was happy for a moment yet it transformed into solemn thought. Uh-oh. You sat up and hugged him from behind, “We’re going to be okay. Alright?” Jesse grabbed your arms and looked over his shoulder at you, “Too bad we got to get up. Be all pretty and prissy.” Venom was imminent in his voice. Hey wait, that was akin to-

“What is going on in here?” Both you and Jesse jumped at Silvia’s voice. Apparently your escort had snuck in when you guys weren’t paying attention. Your sponsor’s silver hair was now in a multitude of curls, framing her face. She wore silver again, her dress making her resemble a lamp post in Victor’s Village. You slid off Jesse’s back, trying to formulate a way to not get in trouble. There was a reason why you and Jesse were separated at separate ends of the hall. No reasonable explanation came to mind but Jesse had your back.

“We were patching things up. Didn’t want to end on a sour note before we die.” Straight to the point. It was good Jesse had forgiven you, it made the guilt in your body disappear completely. The music in your head started again. A lively tune of fiddle’s, a piccolo, and other instruments was instilling a confidence you’ve never felt before. Silvia bought the answer yet threw a glance at you two as though she was expecting a different answer.

“Well I came in to tell you it’s time to eat and then off to the opening games.” Silvia chimed as she left the room, the doors remaining open. Jesse suddenly fell backwards, his body sprawled out on your lap. He looked up at you and his whole behavior changed. He was more playful, friendly, and he smiled so brightly, it felt like you staring at the sun.

“Can I sleep for five more minutes?” He whined and you playfully swatted at him, earning a chuckle. He rolled up, letting you free to get up off his bed and trot out to the hallway. No need to shower. Your team was going to wash and essentially pamper you today. A screech of the piccolo put a screeching halt to your sunny outlook as you realized that tonight was your last night of safety. Tomorrow morning you’ll be fighting for your life, killing, surviving, and making the hardest decisions no one can bear. You had to continue moving so nobody could pick up on the melancholy feeling that had snuck up on you so suddenly. In the room, Genji was bringing out a platter filled with Silvia’s default pastry breakfast.

“Isn’t that bad for you?” You inquired, taking an empty seat, Jesse grabbing a chair and squeezing in next to you. Silvia rolled her eyes at you, “This is the oly time I can indulge, the rest of the time I go and compete for the best districts to escort for next year.”

“Huh must be tough.” Jesse scoffed at her, throwing a glare at her. Genji laid the tray in front of Silvia, looking at you for your breakfast choice today. You wanted to try something new but you didn’t know any recipe types to eat. You grew up with short healthy meals to keep you in shape for training and sometimes you indulged with a big breakfast like french toast or a breakfast platter of pancakes, fruit, eggs, and your choice of a meat product or a vegetarian dish.

“Surprise me!” Genji smiled with delight and he looked ready to dash into the kitchen to prepare a meal when he remembered Jesse was sitting next to you, also deciding on what to eat. You heard Morrison’s heavy footsteps clomp down the hallway, clearly not in a rush to deal with whatever he thought was going to happen between you and Jesse.

“Coffee, toast, and eggs.” Jesse sighed, leaning back in his chair, popping his spine bit by bit. You tried to follow suit only you made it worse and your back was stiffer than a board. You groaned in misery, dealing with the pain and stiffness.

“Can’t crack your back?”

“Yup.” You responded as you tried it for a second time. You made it even worse. Crap! You settled uncomfortably in your chair, as Jack sat himself at the head of the table, an eyebrow raised at your sitting arrangements with Jesse. Genji was by Jack’s side, waiting for the mentor’s order. He waved his hand with dismissal, “The usual.” Genji smiled and dashed into the kitchen, eager to satisfy your surprise order than anybody else’s order. Jack’s blue eyes glanced from you to Jesse and then back to you.

“I thought you two hated each other?”

“They’re an item.” Silvia piped up, making your cheeks flare with defiance, Jesse equally a dark red, sputtering out, “N-no! We only talked nothing else!” Jack chuckled at your guy’s flimsy defense, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement you haven’t seen until today. He reached over the table for the pitcher of water and poured himself a cup.

“Since you two are okay enough to be around each other,” He brought the water to his lips for a quick sip, “we can talk about your sponsors.” Why this? You both were pretty much guaranteed a spot of support from them since you came from a district loyal to the Capitol. Jesse snorted haughtily, crossing his arms across his chest, “I don’t need no sponsors! I know what I’m doing!”

“Trust me, it can mean getting the weapon of your desire if you play your cards correctly. It’s how I won the Games.” Jack was unphased by Jesse’s attitude and you’re happy you patched things up since Jesse opened one eye, training it on you.

“That true?” The question was directed at you but Silvia inserted herself into the conversation, her light voice tickling your ears, “Yes, Jack managed to get an upgrade with his tactical goggles after he had been attacked by someone hiding behind a dead body and saved his partner from the Careers. The next thing he got was a firearm that had paired with his tactical visor, wiping out his opponents during the Barrier Phase.”

“Barrier Phase?” Jesse was confused as though he had never seen the Hunger Games. Did his parents shelter him from the videos? You’ve heard of parents doing that but it was rare since the Games was a looming presence like the Reaper waiting to collect your soul. Jesse turned to you, his body shifted so it turned slightly towards you. His body indicated he wanted you to explain the Barrier Phase to him personally. You were happy to oblige.

“It happens when there’s a handful of tributes left and they are scattered across the arena. The Gamemakers have this barrier that starts outward and moves inwards at different speeds. Depending on who’s the popular favorite along with how far away they are, the Gamemakers are merciful enough to give the tributes roughly a full day to get to the desired area. If you’re not a popular favorite and are on the outskirts, they will close the barrier in a matter of minutes. That’s why tributes mainly want to stay close to the Cornucopia: the Gamemakers restrict the area around that place a majority of the time.”

“So what time did they not do it around the Cornucopia?”

“I can’t remember what specific year but there were a bunch of tributes who were trying to rebel against the Capitol by camping and staying near the Cornucopia after they killed the Careers. The Gamemakers put a stop to it and restricted the area between two tributes, killing the “rebels”. It was one of the only times they restricted the area somewhere else.” That was a series of Games nobody enjoyed from your district; not because of the dead people but rather there was little to no action until the very end. Everyone craved blood in your district and sadly enough, so did you as evident by your predatory senses.

Jesse hummed in thought as Genji approached the table, his two arms occupied by Jesse’s order and Jack’s order containing oatmeal and an orange. He placed them in front of their respective consumers, flashing a finger at you. It means it’ll be another minute before your meal was to be brought out. Genji dashed back into the kitchen, his red yukata sleeves billowing behind him. Your eyes traced to the center of his yukata, decorated with a green dragon. Oh right, Shimada’s were compared to dragon’s and you had to hold in a snicker since Genji’s green hair was matched by the dragon on his back. Silly Genji!

“Back to the point: you might need more sponsors for this game. I’ve heard rumors this terrain might be out of your field of elements.” Jack muttered, peeling his orange in a matter of seconds. Jesse was digging into his eggs like a ravenous dog that was starved for a long time. You shrugged, “Do you have any idea on how to impress the sponsors?”

“No, that’s not what I was aiming for. The Capitol loves stories whether sad, heroic, or even romantic.”

“Oh alr-” A record scratched in your head. Wait, Jack couldn’t be serious!

“Hey wait a minute!” Jesse was the one to interject, nearly choking on his coffee. Genji’s red arm came into view, laying out a bowl of rice, a soup you couldn’t recognize, a plate with eggs, fish, and vegetables combined. A glass of tea was placed next to your miso soup, smelling delightful. This looked hearty compared to everyone’s simple breakfast choices. Silvia’s eyes went wide at your breakfast.

“I didn’t know an Avox to cater to your every whim. They usually try to delay meals, orders, or anything you command them to do.” You took that as an insult. If she had taken the time to get to know Genji and treat him like a person instead of the slave that he technically is, then he’d be more open to interact with her. Calmly, you turned your head to Genji, beaming a smile at him, “Thank you, this looks delicious!” Genji smiled at your enthusiasm, flashing a quick smile back at you before going to his default corner, awaiting for everyone to finish their meals or for the next order. You began with the food on the plate, enjoying the succulent fish.

“Sponsors are suckers mainly for lovers. I recommend you and (Y/N) pretend to be madly in love with one another. The sponsors will give you supplies to survive and weapons to protect your lover.” Jack directed his attention to Jesse, taking a masive bite out of his orange, not a speck of juice leaving his mouth. Your mouth went dry at the thought of pretending to be in love. Dating has never worked for you, convincing you to be a hermit living in Victor’s Village for the rest of your life. You idly drank the tea, the warmth was welcomed and this tea seemed to be purifying yourself from the inside. It felt pleasant.

“Please tell me you’re joking.” Jesse complained, leaning towards Jack, his arm waving all over the place to show off his distaste of the idea. Jack shook his head.

“It’s the only way Jesse. Besides, I thought you patched things up with (Y/N).” His blue eyes contained a trickle of amusement as he tried to be as stern as he was during your training. Tried to at least; his body language betrayed him, a tiny smirk tugging at his lips. Jesse might’ve not noticed but you did. Jesse placed his face in his hands before groaning out, “Fine. But I hope it actually gets me a firearm.” Your heart sunk a bit. Jesse was only being romantic for a weapon and you understood why via strategically. Except it hurt. You were trying to shove the warm feeling away about Jesse. After all, you did have three people depending on you to win the Games. Back to business.

“When should we act romantic and all that jazz?” You asked, starting on the soup, enjoying the rich taste. Silvia’s eyes were all dreamy as she finished her pastry, “All the time, it’s easier than doing it on and off.”

“I hate to say it but your escort is right.” Jack agreed, his voice sounding as though he was bested. Huh, guess he doesn’t like Silvia. Jesse grunted with confirmation, ripping a piece of toast into his mouth. You ate the rice at a sedated pace, relishing this morning as the rest of the day and evening you were going to be in the public eye.

“Hey, you’re shaking.” Jesse’s hand rested on your shoulder, making you realize he was right. You finished eating and set the silverware gently on the table, trying to prove you were okay, “I’m fine, just the mention of Games makes my adrenaline rush.”

“Are you itching to kill people?”

“No!”

“Jesse, (Y/N) has been trained to fight since she was a kid. She was constantly active. If she isn’t active for a period of time, her adrenaline is released and she gets the shakes.” Jack reprimanded the tribute, pointing a spoon filled with oatmeal at Jesse in an accusing motion. The tribute sunk in his chair out of embarrassment? Humiliation? It was one of the two. You finished your meal, content to sit around before your team came to grab you for the prep work. Jesse had other ideas. He stood from his chair, his eyes connecting with yours.

“Let’s talk elsewhere.” A simple nod was all you offered as you stood from your chair and followed Jesse to his room, Silvia’s voice twittering in the background. Jesse punched the code to his room, the doors snapping open to admit entrance to the both of you. It was identical to your room except Jesse’s view was of what you assumed to be the slums. Avox’s dressed in red scurried in the back alleys, careful not to be seen in the general public. Pity was all you felt as you stared out at them.

“What do you want to do?”

Your attention snapped back to Jesse, his hands were in his pockets, his trademark hat on his head now, tilted to cover his eyes. Someone was feeling confident. Oh right, romance in public. Ugh, it’s been a while and the last guy you had was way too romantic for your own good. He kept complimenting you, throwing in pick-up lines, and was overly affectionate. It wasn’t comfortable so you turned him down. You didn’t know if Jesse had a history with women so you were at a loss on how to act. You gave a tiny shrug, “I don’t know.”

Jesse frowned, “What do you mean?”

“I’ve dated people and they were either too affectionate, too clingy, or too dominate.” It was the truth. Jesse gave a predatory smirk and licked his lips, “I’m warning you right now darling,” he drawled out, his accent becoming thicker with each word, “I’m known for being quite the charmer.” You thickly gulped down a retort as Jesse lurched forward, his arms wrapping around your waist, face inches away from yours. Jesse hummed in amusement as you let out a startled gasp. Shit he’s fast!

“Oh you’re going to be a lot of fun~” Jesse teased, dropping his voice low. You nearly shook at his voice, attracted to the noise alone. Before anything could happen between the two of you, your stylists walked in. Thistle smiled at you while Jesse’s stylist, a girl with porcelain skin and bright neon orange hair, gave him a look of disbelief.

“Sorry to interrupt the moment you two but it’s time to go.” Jesse leaned into your ear and growled, “We’ll pick this up later.” As you both exited the room, your hand found his, and you both didn’t let go.

* * *

The ride to the arena was not fun. Even though you had Jesse there, being romantic and all, the streets were rather depressing. You took a train similar to the one that had transported you from your district to the Capitol except it was smaller and only contained seats. If you peered outside, you saw people so happy and excited at the prospect of a new champion that they waved to your train as it snaked its way to the arena. It was sickening. Jesse’s hands were interlaced with yours, his thumb tracing over yours in a calming manner. He was watching the same thing you are. Your stylists, mentor, and escort were in a big group together speaking with one another while you and Jesse separated from them. The train shook from the lack of maintenance, obviously they only used this to transport the other tributes. Your cars were in the same order: District One was at the front of the train while District Twelve was at the end. You wanted to go find Lucio and Efi but you didn’t want to walk through nine other districts to visit your friends. Oh wait, “Jesse?”

“Hm?”

“What are we going to do in the Games? You allied yourself with the Career tributes and I’m allied to District Eleven.” Jesse looked at the group of adults, frowning at them as he turned his attention back to you, “I don’t know. Maybe we’ll figure something out when we see our allies after the opening ceremony or something.” You nodded, it was the only idea you both had for now. You’ll meet up with Lucio and Efi later. The world blurred around you as the stylists swarmed you and Jesse, separating you two as you entered the arena’s underbelly.

Before you could even register what was happening, Thistle was ushering you into the prep room. Your nerves were set on edge by the lack of Jesse’s presence and the interior of the room itself. The room was all reflective slate grey metal with an operation table made out of the same material too. You’ve only been in an operating room once back in training after Octavian hurled a spear at his instructor, who merely sidestepped the shot and the spear embedded itself into your gut.

You still have the scar from the incident located under your left rib cage. Shivers wracked your body since your natural instinct is to resist, to fight.

“It’s alright, just uncover yourself, get on the table, and we’ll try to have this procedure done as quick as possible.” Thistle’s voice was calm. As much as you didn’t want another guy to look at you naked, it had to be done. His shoes retreated out of the room, making this a lot easier for you. Slowly, you reached under the hem of your shirt and raised it completely over your head, discarding the shirt on the table nearby, then your pants. For a few moments, you paused. This was going to be awkward and pretty embarrassing! Something bumped into your collar bone and you totally forgot about Genji’s necklace! Crap!

“Oh you’re just about done!” You spun on your heel, your movements too quick to pull off as shy behavior. Thistle spotted the little sparrow and chuckled when you wrapped a protective hand around the charm. Your stylist gave you a reassuring smile, “It’s your token from your family correct?” Why didn’t you think of that? A simple nod and Thistle held his hand out, “I promise I’ll return it when we’re done dressing you.” Skeptically, you gave the man a wary look, not too confident he’ll give it back to you.

As much as you didn’t want to, you had to. Slowly, you adjusted the string so your head was big enough to get through, settling the sparrow in Thistle’s tan leather hands. The stylist opened his coat and tucked the token into an interior pocket. His eyes were warm, not predatory as he gestured for you to take off the remaining items of clothing. You turned back to the table and jumped onto it, quickly throwing off your undergarments before lying flat on the cold steel table.

You closed your eyes, trying to will this embarrassment away. You heard several other feet come in, their voices mainly female.

“Wow! She’s so pretty up close!”

“I wouldn’t blame her if she managed to survive on her looks alone!”

“A beautiful girl from such a deadly family, a shame she has to go in the games.” You felt your chest hurt with every breath as you listened to their observations about you. This wasn’t reassuring for a majority of the time. You weren’t boastful and confident about other tributes from your district.

“Stop it now! Let's start with a wash and we’ll progress from there.” The warm spray of water was welcoming, a set of delicate hands were in your hair with a sudsy shampoo which smelled of pomegranates, a rare fruit you were privileged enough to eat. Another set of hands had grabbed a body wash with an identical smell and slathered it across your body, using a bristle brush to scrub any lingering dirt or debris you had picked up from your district. It didn’t last long as hygiene was another good privilege you were lucky to have. When the rinse came, you felt almost holy in a sense as your body felt lighter, brighter, and pure from the wash.

The waxing was the worst of it all. You didn’t really pay any mind to body hair as it didn’t have much of an effect for training so you let it be. Now you wished you had paid more attention to it, because this hurt like a bitch! At least you grunted out of pain, from across the other side of the hall, you swore you heard Jesse yelp or, dare you say, scream at the waxing. Eyebrows weren’t a problem since you plucked, and when waxed, it was mildly uncomfortable. All the grown out body hair on the other hand, let’s just say you hoped for the Quarter Quell, the President would not make past tributes come back.

After the horrors of the body waxing, you were given another body wash, face wash, and you were pampered by the stylists as they rubbed soothing lotion into your skin, making it ridiculously soft. Not once had you opened your eyes or tried to make conversation. It was too awkward to talk to the stylist when you’re laying naked on a steel table, not enjoying the sensation of beauty. The pain was not your cup of tea. 

“(Y/N),” You opened one eye to your stylist, whom was standing with a robe ready for you, “it’s time to get dressed.” You threw on your undergarments and the robe, feeling the fuzzy white cotton embrace you. Thistle escorted you to the main room, two screens set up with a group of male stylists dealing with Jesse, his silhouette struggling to get into a piece of clothing. You couldn’t identify what type but it was hard for Jesse to get his head through. The women stylists pushed you behind the screen, a dress waiting for you. It was a scarlet red, the sleeves non existent yet there were cuffs of gold with a thin scarf like material connecting from the cuffs to the back of your dress. It didn’t look appealing to you but you couldn’t argue with Thistle since the opening ceremony was going to start soon. You discarded your robe and stepped into the dress, the women circling around you, simultaneously working on your hair and makeup.

“Alright I’m done! I’m done! I don’t need no makeup!” You heard Jesse screech, his heavy stomps echoing around the room as he stomped out from behind the screen.

“Don’t leave the room Jesse, (Y/N) has to leave with you.” A soft voice chimed from the other side of your screen. The stylists who worked on you gave a once over before stepping aside. You were glad as the proximity of them was borderline claustrophobic. The stylists giggled ad ushered everyone out except for Jesse. You bet Jack had to do with the rumor of you and Jesse being an item. When the door closed, you poked your head out to examine Jesse. He was dressed like gladiators your district was made of. He was dressed in metallic armor mostly a dark black with red accents, he looked ready to enter the Games if possible. He wore a cape with a blood red interior and a black exterior. Wow! The tribute looked like something out of a children’s fairy tale but you weren’t complaining. Jesse turned, his face smirking, body language calm and casual.

“You going to come out?”

“I look ridiculous.” You muttered. You didn’t like dresses for a reason. They inhibited you from fighting or defending yourself plus it felt weird not wearing any pants. You trained in pants, relaxed in pants, and even for those lavish parties your family threw, you wore dress pants.

“You either come out or I’ll carry you out.” Hesitating, you stepped out from behind the screen, your cheeks heating up with embarrassment. Jesse’s eyes went wide at the image of you and where was a mirror when you need one?

“You look so…”

“Ridiculous?”

“Beautiful.” Jesse’s voice was breathless. His tone made your heart jump happily, a giddy tune playing in your head with a violin. A little mischief picked at your mind and you enacted it out, wanting to tease the other tribute. You strode over to him, and leaned up to his ear, “You don’t look so bad yourself.” You purred. Jesse’s face turned a bit pink, his hand going to tip his hat except it wasn’t there. He awkwardly turned away, his hand grabbing yours.

“Let’s get going, don’t want to keep the others waiting.”

You giggled at Jesse’s antics, the tribute obviously flustered from his actions. You interlaced your fingers with his, ready to woo the sponsors with your romantic “relationship”.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise we'll get to the good stuff soon but I'm breaking out the chapters so it's not an overload of information. 
> 
> Also I tried to research traditional Japanese breakfast but I'm not too confident it's right.
> 
> Anyways, have a good day! :D


	7. Ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this chapter is a bit sloppy. I have an exam and a paper due in a short amount of time. I promise to re-edit this when I have the time to do so!

The tributes were slowly trickling out one by one, ready to gather for the opening ceremony. Jesse was playing his role as a rugged lover very well. His arm went from your hand down to the small of your back, his strong arm pulling you close to his metallic body. Thank goodness you both were located inside instead of outside or else the metal would burn you! Your heart sputtered a few times when Jesse would press kisses against your temple as the two of you would pace along the interior of the arena, showing off in front of the Gamemakers as they were preparing for their public appearance as well, the other prep teams and a couple tributes. You two have been at this for roughly an hour or so. As much as you could play along, your feet were killing you! These sandals had no support!

“Can we stop for  minute?” You asked, hesitating since you felt embarrassed you have to ask your partner to stop only for your discomfort. The hallway was always cool, comfortable enough instead of the heat you could feel whenever you passed open archways to the arena. Seems like Jesse was relieved to hear you say that as he sagged his shoulders a bit forwards.

“Sounds like a good idea darlin’.” He started to lean against the wall when you grabbed his arm and pointed to a bench not too far away from the both of you.

“Can’t get ourselves dirty or else our stylists will redecorate us again.” A growl of dismay ripped from Jesse’s throat as he grabbed your arm and hauled you over to the bench.

“Stupid Games!” He bit out, sitting on the bench, you off to his left. A little bit of space was permitted between the two of you, a simple relief. Jesse was a walking, talking, foul-mouthed oven and what’s worse is you had been absorbing his heat! You delicately fanned yourself with your hand, trying to cool yourself off without smudging your makeup. At least your stylist knew what kind of makeup to use as it didn’t feel like your makeup was melting off your face. You closed your eyes as a blast of cold air swept through the halls.

It felt nice against the insufferable heat with the bodies among the masses. It’s the only thing you could relish before the Games tomorrow. You were trained for this, to be a predator amongst a sea of prey. Not to mention you were trained to bond with the predators of the arena as well such as the beautiful yet deadly District One along with the craftiness and resourcefulness of District Four. Except another predator has entered the picture, the one who obviously didn’t hail from your district. He has caused a lot of emotional pain no one has ever managed to accomplish before. Now this predator seemed to be playing his cards by sheer luck.

You opened an eye and narrowed it at Jesse’s silhouette, his back hunched, his face staring down at the ground.

Who are you, Jesse?

“Hey!” A girlish voice shrieked, the voice bouncing off the walls. It activated the music in your head, her playfulness was in the foreground of the music, a boppy combination of trumpets and flutes. Yet if you listened closely to the background, you can hear the slithering noise of a clarinet. The voice was planning something diabolical. Immediately, your head snapped to the girl, not surprised to be confronted with Hana Song, a beautiful girl gliding towards you.

Her long brown hair was braided into a magnificent crown, her body enveloped by silver jewelry, purple makeup shined on her lips and eyelids, and her dress was magnificent. It was metal sequins the color of rose gold, the sequins the shape of arrowheads as they stuck closely to her skin. She was beautiful and although her beauty was admirable, you had to stay on guard. They weren’t your allies after all.

“Hey Hanners!” What’s with the nickname? You paid no mind when Jesse stood up and passed by you to greet Hana. Your attention rolled over to the end of the hallway in the opposite direction of where Hana appeared. You should probably get going and find your allies, you needed to talk to them and see what they wanted to do before tomorrow. It was a bad idea not to plan before heading into the arena.

“Darlin’?” You sighed and stood up, facing Hana as you flashed your crocodile smile. It wasn’t predatory but it was indeed a fake. You gave a tiny bow, reading District One tributes were greeted in such a way, “I am sorry for not paying attention.” Voice calm and smooth like cool water on a hot day. It was alluring and it was rewarded with a giggle from the District One tribute.

“No problem!” Hana grabbed your hands and squeezed them delicately before shoving them downwards. She got part of the District Two greeting wrong as it would be a gentle shake in an up and down motion. Instead it went straight down as she invaded your personal space, her brown eyes staring into yours. Uh-oh! She was evaluating you!

Hana pulled back, Jesse happily wrapped his arm around you, his signature smirk on his face, “Well now that you met Hanners here,” he pulled you a bit closer to his body, “let’s talk some business.”

Hey, wait! You guys hadn’t even talked about what you two were going to do about your separate alliances! You smelled a trap. Hana’s partner, Alexander arrived, dressed in gold armor, similar to Jesse’s gladiator armor except his cape was a deep violet, and the designs on his gold armor was in the shape of a lion. Alright, Alex resembled a lion where the female does all the work and Hana reminded you of a spider. She has woven a web with her civil courtesy, high energy, and was lying in wait for you to be sucked in by her charms. A predator at its finest hour. Except, you could easily see through Hana’s ploy.

“Hello, (Y/N), correct?” Alex asked, grabbing your hand, his soft lips kissing the back. You shivered at it, not enjoying the sensation. You peered into baby blue eyes as you restrained yourself from backhanding him for the action. You tugged your hand out of his grasp, “Yes, a pleasure Alexander.”

“Please, call me Alex.” His blonde hair was swept back and kept down by gel. District One though they were the most privileged but District Two was the richest district, the most powerful district politically, a massive armed force, and the most tributes to survive the Games. They’d be crazy to go against a District Two member except in this case it’d be you versus them. Their intentions were obvious: to persuade you to join their ranks.

Jesse’s hand squeezed your side, dropping his lips to your ear, “Hear them out.” Not like you could escape, Jesse’s grip on you was borderline painful, essentially trapping you to his side. There was no escape unless he was relaxed. Exhaling harshly through your nose you muttered out, “Fine.”

Hana squealed as she happily fired out, “It’d be nice to fight with two tributes from your district instead of one! We wouldn’t want you to be alone and gained up by a group of the lesser district’s even if you could handle yourself. We’re not doubting your skills or anything except it’s better to go in a group than to go by yourself until it’s down to the six of us!”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! You thought I was going solo?” You had to interrupt her. Did Jesse tell her you were going in by yourself? Why didn’t he say you allied yourself with the tributes from District Eleven? Hana stopped before continuing, “Well yeah, he said you were mad at him and wanted to go alone. I mean now that you and him managed to work things out, you could join our group without any complications.”

You turned your head to Jesse, anger and disappointment stewing in your chest. He lied! Jesse looked down at you, his face indifferent about how you were feeling. Great, you were deceived by him. He was being friendly to gain your trust and now you were stuck in a massive lie because of him! You shouldn’t have fallen for it but how did Jesse trick you? It was quite rare for you to be deceived by someone. Especially by someone who hasn’t had any professional training.

Kudos to him, you were going to look foolish for speaking your mind but you had to let your original intentions be known. You looked back at Hana and stated out flatly, “I guess Jesse might’ve been ashamed for me.” You elbowed Jesse sharply in the side. It might’ve looked like friendly banter with your sweet smile and a short jab but really you left a bruise from your strength against Jesse’s ribs. The outsider grunted, his smile fooled the other two tributes as well for his eyes read anger as he rubbed his ribs softly to not draw too much attention.

“I had allied myself with the tributes from District Eleven. They have proven themselves useful as they had taught me how to scrounge for food even if none could be found. I have taught them combat in exchange for their skills.”

Hana and Alex traded a look before they burst into boisterous laughter. Jesse joined them, his laugh more mocking than you thought. Well-played Jesse, well-played. Hana glimpsed at your serious look before her laughter died to a look of worry. Yup you looked like a lunatic and it was all thanks to Jesse. That motherfucker was going to pay!

“Wait, you were being serious?” Alex straightened himself up, his face twisted in concern. Everybody looked at you like you had grown a second head. Oh yeah, Jesse was going to be in for it later!

“Yes.” You growled out, flinching as Jesse had wrapped his arm around your shoulders. Jesse spoke, “I was hoping you two could convince her it’d be a dumb decision.”

“It is a dumb decision!” Hana explained, waving her hands in the air with dismay, “What made you think it was a good decision?”

“Because they have taught me things you three wouldn’t be able to do even if it was staring at you right in the face!” Your voice hissed out, the music dramatically changing. A violin started low, playing a dark humming tension, another violin (now high pitched) was playing notes of offense and crescendo into a probable attack. Alex’s demeanor changed from a sickeningly sense of affection to anger. His fists were tight enough for his knuckles to lose all color, his body trembling with suppressed rage.

“We are a lot more intelligent than you.”

“Says the guy who earned a rating of nine and I earned a rating of twelve.” You snapped back, shaking in equal rage. You were tired of their superiority and a smirk of victory painted your lips as Alex flushed from the belittling truth. Hana came in to defend pointing an accusing finger at you, “We’re not the ones who would lower themselves to a lesser district!”

You felt no pain from the insult but you did understand how Jesse felt with your previous comeback yesterday night. Straight up you hissed back, “At least I wasn’t seen kissing a boy from District Twelve because you know the rules: if you’re seen to have an intimate relationship with a different district tribute, you become an Avox.”

Satisfaction warmed your stinging pride as horror engulfed Hana’s body, her face turning grey with panic, her body breaking out in a cold sweat, and she was shaking.

“When did you see that?” She croaked out. You would’ve pitied her but she had gone to try and wound your pride. Payback’s a bitch.

“The second day of training. I remember because you made Jesse stall anyone from entering the equipment storeroom. Which by the way, it might be behind a wall, but the ceiling was open enough for me to crawl in and watch.” You cooed with poison tainting your tongue. Oh, how you loved to watch her squirm and writhe in fear. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes, her porcelain skin ready to be stained by them. Alex threw a glare at you as you flippantly turned around, walking down the hallways by yourself. You are not going to stand their pettiness and you were not going to stand another moment in Jesse’s presence.

“Sorry to cut it short,” you paused and looked over your shoulder at the angry tributes, smiling at them, “I have more important things to attend to.” You walked down the hallway, intending to find your allies and discuss with them what had just transpired along with your strategy for tomorrow. Jesse had played you today but something was bothering you about him.

He was sincere about last night when he had the nightmare, his expression genuine when you had made the move to leave him. He was hurt and this morning he was playful even nice to you. So where was the deception? Was he that good at lying? You didn’t ask the reason on what he had to gain as it was obvious: you. You in the sense of your deadly combat skills. Yet he was as equally deadly as you.

You were lost in your thoughts as you circled the metallic hallways, people parted for you as if they knew how angry you were currently. Jesse had used you for a short amount of time for an alliance and he had betrayed the trust you were going to invest in him. After a bit of walking, you breathed a sigh of relief when your eyes found both Efi and Lucio.

They were speaking with Doomfist, the man dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants. His deep voice set off a set of exotic drums in an exotic rhythm of anxiety as you approached your allies. You didn’t know of Doomfist’s opinions considering you hailed from District Two. Most likely negative if you came from a Career District and Doomfist from a poorer district. Efi popped her head past Doomfist’s leg and waved excitedly at you.

“(Y/N)!” Doomfist turned around his face at first in a scowl yet it lit up with surprise as you approached the group.

“Good afternoon, Efi.” You responded kindly as you gave a tiny wave. Doomfist seemed to approve your presence as he held out his hands, his signature gauntlet lining his arm. Oh right, your greeting. You laid your hands in his, a bit wary the man might crush your hand to give his tributes an advantage in the arena tomorrow (which would be a dumb idea as you were their ally!) Doomfist covered your hands with his grip, gentle as he shook them up and down.

“I have seen your rating along with your partner. Maybe there is some hope for my tributes to make it to the final three.” His voice was deep, deep like Jack’s and as equally dangerous. You were careful with your words as you pulled your arms back at your side. You responded by a small bow of your head and calmly smiled, “I see them as valuable allies. They are a lot craftier than other tributes give them and it’s a shame the Gamemakers don’t have an independent score for that area.” The answer you gave Doomfist must’ve been classified as offensive as his eyes narrowed at you in suspicion. You were about to defend yourself when Doomfist looked over to see a fight breaking out between several tributes, him running into action.

“Doomfist thinks you get stronger if you fight and kill people.” Lucio spoke up after a period of silence. You evaluated Efi and Lucio’s costume. They were dressed in long grass skirts the color of dead grass, their headbands a bright green to contrast the dead grass skirt, Efi’s chest covered with a red band of cloth, and their skin had white painted lines and dots. Exotic in an aesthetically pleasing way, you did mean business.

“I wanted to ask what you both wanted to do tomorrow. Such as whether to go into the Cornucopia or would you rather flee and scrounge for supplies?” Lucio and Efi turned to one another with a look of surprise. They turned back to you, Lucio speaking up for the both of them: “I mean we could scrounge for materials and avoid conflict if we can.” There was a bit of hesitation sitting on the tip of his tongue. You raised an eyebrow.

“If there’s a concern you have with me, please let me know before we meet again in the Game.” Your hand gestured to the space in between the three of you, in reference to no secrets between you three. You may be a predator but you weren’t going to hurt your allies if you could help it.

“We saw you and your partner, Jesse being sweet and all. He’s with the Careers. Aren’t you supposed to be with him?” Efi was speaking like she was walking on eggshells. You weren’t mad at her for it, a little disconcerted they assumed you were with the Career Pack but it was understandable. Calmly, you walked forward so there wasn’t as much space between the three of you like before and you lowered your voice. Both of them leaned in, and they seemed to get how you felt as you explained, “Jesse and I did patch things up until the tributes from District One tried to convince me to ditch the both of you. It was all political talk and I don’t abide by any political agenda. Jesse had tried to trick me into their alliance but I swear I’m going to stand-by you guys. Everything concerning Jesse and I is suppose to gain Jesse sponsor’s. Trust me, it wasn’t my idea.”

Okay you were bending the truth a bit. You thought you and Jesse had put everything in the past but obviously only to gain favors. It hurt but you needed to be concerned for your survival along with Lucio and Efi’s lives as well. Both of them nodded in understanding. Lucio flashed his smile as he flashed a thumbs up, “No problem! So Cornucopia tomorrow morning?” Wait, that’s not what you three had agreed on!

“But-”

“(Y/N)!” You twirled on your heel in time to smack into a black chest plate. Lowly you craned your head back to stare up into the dark eyes of Jesse. A smile flashed at you as he wrapped his arms around your waist, “The ceremony is about to start, need to get ready.” Jesse twirled you away from your friends, wrapping his arm around your shoulder as you walked down the hallway. You yelled over your shoulder, “Stick to the plan!” You wished you could have seen how those two reacted in case there was hesitation.

You walked in silence with Jesse, the hallway seemingly deserted as the tributes were ready to get in their chariots. A couple more moments of silence before it was broken by Jesse.

“What’s wrong this time?” The outsider hissed, the hand on your shoulder in a tight grip. No escape again. You really needed to get a grip on yourself, it was going to cost you your life in the arena. You rolled your eyes and replied, “I’m no fool Jesse. You made me look like a raving lunatic in front of the Career Pack.”

“That’s your own fault darlin’.”

“Cut it out!” You hissed as your eyes found Jesse’s again, you balled the material of your dress in your hands, not trusting yourself with the self control. You wanted to punch him in the face so bad!

“Hey, you’re the one who didn’t want to join the others.”

“I told you once and I’ll tell you again: I allied myself with District Eleven. If you guys won’t accept them as people, then it’s a bad decision to join up with the Careers.” It was against your philosophy to treat others below you. The only exception to that rule was if a group of people were harming another group of people like the citizens of the Capitol and the Avoxes. Your hand reached for the sparrow only to remember Thistle had it!

“Oh crap!”

“Realizing your mistake there?” A smug tone you didn’t like. You tried to wrench yourself out of Jesse’s grasp only to feel resistance as Jesse pulled you tighter against his body, the music in your head panicking for you.

“I need to go find Thistle!”

“He’s waiting for us, now calm down!”

You couldn’t calm down! You told Thistle it was a gift from your district but if he talks to Silvia and Jack about it, the necklace could get destroyed! You couldn’t risk it as you promised Genji you’d wear it and return it to his love! Maybe the love between you and Jesse was fake but you wanted someone to have happiness in their life for once. It was the reason why you were in the arena in the first place.

The grip on your shoulder tightened as Jesse ushered you into the area where your stylists were standing in, chattering anxiously until Thistle’s eyes focused on the both of you.

“They’re here!” A throng of people surrounded both you and Jesse, adding the finishing touches to you both. A gold necklace rested against your neck instead of the green sparrow, two gold cuffs snapped onto each of your wrists, a coiled snake on your right arm, and a gold headband made of roses settled into your hair. You had no time to ask for your necklace back as you were shoved into the chariot with Jesse by your side.

Jack stood on your side of the chariot, spewing off advice like normal, “Remember you two: sponsors like a good story. (Y/N), you already have a story the sponsors love but Jesse doesn’t. Romance is the easiest way to win sponsors. Pretend you’re in love and it should run smoothly.”

You wanted to argue except you couldn’t. Royal music drowned your mind and you looked straight ahead, not acknowledging anyone as the chariot jolted a bit. You stumbled and Jesse’s arm saved you from falling backwards out of the chariot. He eased you back up into the standing position, quiet as well. District One was in the front, passing into the sunlight. In a few moments, you had to put on a mask of adoration for Jesse before the Capitol and to the other districts. You hoped Rose and Octavian didn’t take your relationship with Jesse seriously. A gloved hand intertwined itself with your bare hand.

Both you and Jesse met each other with a gaze. The bright light washed over you, ad the acting begun. Your eyes swept from side to side as you waved out to the masses, flowers raining down on your chariot. The hand that was interlaced with yours shook itself free as you both looped arms, playing out a beautiful romance. Out of the corner of your eye, you watched the action on your own chariot, all eyes on you and Jesse. None of the other tributes were as interesting as you and Jesse. He seemed happy and as you approached the end of the stretch of pavement, you turned to Jesse for the big finale. If you were honest to yourself, you were a tad bit nervous as you haven’t kissed anyone in a while. Romance was not a main thing to think about in your district. The only thing to matter about was to train and win the Games. Everything else was obsolete. You turned to Jesse and he got the hint, tilting your chin up towards him, as gently as you could.

The world slowed around you, all noise absent except for the sound of your heart beat. It pounded against your ears as you closed your eyes. It might be an act yet you craved for Jesse. Chapped lips molded themselves against your lips, your body singing at the physical contact. Your body moved at its own will as your hand cupped Jesse’s cheek as you pulled him in closer. You didn’t want this to end and you both pulled apart, Jesse’s eyes half open, slightly panting. You were as equally breathless. The roars of the crowd snapped you back to reality as your chariot circled around once before lining up next to the tributes from District One and District Three shortly pulled up next to you. The crowd weren’t as excited or captivated by the other districts like they were for you and Jesse. Confidence flooded your body as you stared at the massive monitors; frozen on the kiss you and Jesse shared.

 


	8. Interview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Y/N): Your Name

‘You are a crocodile, you swoon your prey and then go in for the kill. You don’t wallow and mope in front of others.’ The voice of your mother played in your head, by hearing those words, you stood a bit taller, chin raised a bit higher. You heard the audience scrabble for the best seats, murmurs of excitement buzzing through the concrete building. Silvia and Jack were on one side of you and Jesse, still keeping up the charade of lovers.

Jesse wasn’t accustomed to these scenarios and was behaving erratically as of late. It was obvious when he manipulated and tried to embarrass you in front of the Heads of the Career Pack. Now with the interviews however, he seemed as happy as a clam and was falling back into some old habits like slouching and his accent was thicker. It earned some reprimands from Jack and Silvia but Jesse didn’t mind as he’d laugh, “Loosen up a bit! That’s what the interviews are for, right?” His voice was pleasant and you wouldn’t mind listening to that all day long. Heck, you wished he could hear the music in your head and sing to it, that would be nice.

Crap, what are you saying?!

“(Y/N), dear, you feeling alright?” Your head turned to Silvia and she supplied, “You’re looking rather pale.”

“Yeah I’m fine.” You muttered out, feeling Jesse’s arm curl a bit tighter around you. You could pretend Jesse did love you all you want but in the end, he was going to betray you. The Games were all about survival and there will be only one victor. Why couldn’t life be a bit easier to live with?

You shoo the connotations of the thought out of your head as you felt Jesse squeeze a bit harder.

“Once we’re done with my interview, we’ll head back.” Jesse’s smile was hard to see now only because manipulation was being spun and he easily seduced you into that manipulation like a snake charmer. A kiss was pressed onto the top of your head, Jesse muttering something on top. As much as you’d like to ask, you ignored it in favor of Thistle as he came towards you.

The older stylist happily stretched out his arms in greeting and you obliged, you hugged him in friendly recognition before withdrawing.

“You look as beautiful as always, (Y/N).” Thistle commented, looking you up and down as to admire his handiwork. You were going to be late for the interviews if you didn’t leave as soon as you were dressed so you were shoved on a train. Your dress was white, its ethereal glow left your escort, mentor, and partner speechless when you first came on the train. There was no accessories when you left so you hoped Thistle had them.

The older man motioned you to turn around and you felt something familiar settle around your neck. Casting your eyes downwards, you were relieved to find Genji’s necklace back on your person. Phew!

“It suits you well.” Jesse muttered, hugging you from behind, his chin resting on your left shoulder. He smelled like cinnamon and spices you loved. You placed a quick kiss on his cheek, scrambling to remember how to act in a relationship. Your track record with love wasn’t a good one. Jesse turned his head and kissed your neck, sending shivers through you. It was pleasurable, making heat pool in your body.

“You ready?”

“Yes.”

A plain answer was all you could offer as Caesar Flickerman appeared on stage, the crowd going wild. His dark blue hair was pulled back into a small bun, his hair matching his leather suit. As much as you wanted to say he looked ridiculous, he looked more sophisticated than the other exotic Capitol fashion styles as evidenced by Silvia. She was back in her traditional silver scheme, her hair a long spike behind her, her earrings matching the shape of her hair, and her dress was spiky. That thing as legit poked and scratched at your skin, making you feel uncomfortable, your music blaring with annoyance at the sensation. You didn’t pay any attention to the introduction when Jack talked to both you and Jesse, “Remember: make yourself appear appealing to the Capitol and you’re guaranteed sponsors.”

“Oh stop,” Silvia sang, giving you and Jesse a wink, “with the love these kids are showing, they won everyone’s hearts.” You hoped she was right. Hana went on stage first, her voice high and filled with confidence. You cringed at it, Jesse cheering Hana from the sidelines. Jesse happily distracted you from the interview about Hana, kissing your neck, one of his hands dangerously wiggling against your gut. He better not tickle you!

“You look wonderful darling.” Jesse muttered and you replied back, “So do you.” It was true. Jesse was wearing a black tuxedo with a red button up shirt underneath. He was permitted to wear his cowboy hat (and he was loudly exclaiming about how happy he was about it.) You teased Jesse’s looks by nicknaming him, “Casanova?”

“What sweet pea?” A delicious purr you shivered at as Alex stood from his seat, “I need to head up to the stage.”

“Alright, alright.” Jesse let you go as you dashed up the stairs, standing behind the stage as Caesar spoke once again. It felt weird without Jesse’s warm body pressed up to yours, you felt more vulnerable than you could ever imagine.

“They won our hearts with their forbidden kiss on the chariot, and they are both from District Two,” Caesar swooned the crowd as you watched him work the audience. “Her beauty captivated our hearts and her lover may I introduce: (Y/N) (L/N)!” The crowd cheered and applauded at you as you took a moment to compose yourself as you walked on stage. The audience cooed at your appearance, making you wonder how you looked. As tempting as it was to glance at the big screen, you steeled yourself to not look. It could show hesitancy and it’s not what you wanted. Actually, everything that has happened from the Reaping to the Games starting tomorrow is not what you wanted but you had to bear it. Caesar grabbed your hands and laid a kiss on each one, the sensation more friendly than intimate. You let a ghost of a smile take its place instead of the hardened expression your family taught you to wear for public appearances. With as much grace as you could offer, your daintily settled yourself into the big white chair, shivering at the motion that Hana and Alex were both here too. It was disconcerting.

“My you look lovely tonight!” You beamed an exuberant smile at him, feeling your acting come on, “Thank you, I appreciate the compliment.”

The crowd whispered to one another when Caesar started speaking again, “The crowd and I wanted to know how your relationship with Jesse started.” Should you lie? Or tell the truth? Actually another lie wouldn’t hurt anyone and if it did, you will be in the Games so might as well. You smoothed out your skirt as you looked into the crowd for Thistle, his dark skin and light hair obvious to spot.

Thistle gave a small smile for support and you replied, “It started on the train when I wasn’t feeling so well.”

“Mind telling us a short story?”

“Sure,” you quietly lowered your voice as you heard the the audience’s seats squeak as they were on the edge of their seat. Hook, line, and, “Jesse and I we had feelings for one another but we never interacted until we were on the train here. We acted as enemies so the other competitors wouldn’t target us.” You paused for dramatic effect as you heard a few soft sniffles in the crowd. You were almost there just a little bit more. You willed a couple more tears down your cheeks as your voice changed to set the mood, “But when the chariots arrived, we realized this might be the last chance to experience love for the last time and to cherish the time we have together before we go to our deaths.” Caesar grabbed a handkerchief from his suit pocket, handing it to you as you dabbed your eyes. You saw many people in the crowd dabbing their eyes with handkerchiefs too.

Sinker.

“That’s heartbreaking (Y/N). I’m sorry to bring up this subject too but we must address it.”

“Are you trying to make me feel things before I go in?”

Dry chuckles emanated from the audience as you dabbed the stray tears from your cheeks. Caesar grabbed your hand and petted it in an attempt to comfort you. Poor fool doesn’t know you’re playing him like a fiddle.

“I’m sorry for your inconvenience but when we watched you being Reaped, your story was the most heartbreaking to watch,” Caesar stopped and shakily took in a breath, tears about to fly out of his eyes. You gave him his handkerchief back, Caesar chuckling, “Looks like we’re both sharing.”

The audience gave a shaky laugh yet you could hear the raw sadness coming from them. Geez, you didn’t know you had that much of an effect on people! The interviewer quickly dabbed his eyes as his lead filled throat croaked out, “You went into the Games so then your friend could have her baby and live a nice life with her husband.” Caesar was trying his best to hold back his tears as his voice whispered out, “You made them both a promise, correct?”

“Yes.”

“What was that promise?”

“I promised her I’d come home and help raise my god daughter.” Your voice choked on the sadness as you remembered Rose clinging to you, screaming at how you shouldn’t have volunteered, how she didn’t want you to leave, and then making you vow to return home safe and sound. You could only imagine her now, somewhat swollen, her eyes bright and welcoming once you won the games. Fresh tears welled from your eyes as they threatened to spill over. Caesar handed over the handkerchief again, as you took a shaky breath of air, your tears soaked up by the silky cloth.

“I wish you luck and may the odds be ever in your favor.” The audience rose to their feet and clapped for you, their eyes glistening with new tears as they cheered for you. You curtsied to Caesar and gave a sad glance to the audience as you walked off stage. You didn’t want to look at Jesse as you passed except it seems as though the outsider had something different in mind.

Jesse grabbed your arm and yanked you into his chest, resting his chin on top of your head, arms wrapped around you once again.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered as he loosened his grip on you, letting you slip from his arms and towards Silvia. She looked destroyed by your interview, handkerchief wiping at the fast running tears while Jack looked unfazed by the interview. He knows better. Anxiety rose through your body as Jesse was finally called on stage, the audience clapping and cheering for him. Were your answers going to line up? Or was it going to tip off the audience this love is a fraud for sponsors?

“Tell me, Jesse, what did you think about (Y/N) the first time you saw her?” A pause followed, one longer than you’re comfortable with. Was Jesse intentionally stalling? Did he not like you enough to answer like a lover would?

“She reminded me of an angel.” Jesse purred, his voice low and sultry. A hot blush graced your cheeks as you heard Jesse continue, “Every time I look at her, I felt my troubles melt away and she was a force to reckon with. It would take me all day to describe how she makes me feel and how much it hurt me to see her come off this stage, crying.” The audience gasped and you swore you heard outright sobbing.

“I’m sorry for doing that Jesse,” Caesar remarked, “everyone wants to know how you both met.” Your heart stopped. How was Jesse going to convince the audience about the train ride since he did comfort you but you two didn’t patch things up till this morning and even then, this whole thing was a sham.

“I saw her a few times when I would pass Victor’s Village but I met her on the train. I remember her crying, locking herself in her room. I sat outside her door until she let me in and I told myself that I’d do anything in my power to protect my angel. Even if it means doing things I’m none too proud of.” A couple of “aww”s echoed from the audience; Jesse’s a manipulator and he was just as good of working the audience as you are.

“I want a romance like that.” You heard Silvia whisper, a handkerchief dabbing at the remnants from the “emotional” confessions you talked about moments before. As much as you would like to snap at Silvia for “inspiring” this fake romance, you instead decided to wallow in your thoughts. You will now finally admit you have feelings for the asshole and it is your biggest weakness since you are being played by said asshole.

A kiss to your forehead jarred you out of your thoughts, your eyes glancing up into Jesse’s eyes. You didn’t want to be weak as you are leading a group tomorrow morning. The words he uttered made you feel peaceful and you let the false security envelope you as Jesse grabbed you by the waist and escorted you towards the train, “Let’s go home.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this was a short chapter, and the next one is going to be short as well. Don't worry we are close to the beginning of more angst, more action, and let's see where Jesse's relationship goes with you! ;) By the way, updates will now be every Wednesday starting this upcoming Wednesday. See you guys then. Bye~


	9. Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Y/N): Your Name

Damn insomnia! You stared up at the ceiling of your room again, your mind racing with thoughts about the Games, Lucio, Efi, the Careers, Rose, and Jesse. Everything was colliding together like a bunch of trumpets trying to gain the orchestra’s attention. Tomorrow is when the Games would start, you’d be flown to an arena where you will be fighting for your life. Your hand shakily wrapped around the little sparrow on your neck as you had made so many promises to so many people. Dying wasn’t going to be an option.

Laying in bed and dwelling on your problems weren’t going to solve anything nor try to lull you to sleep. The living room should be empty except for Genji. It’d be nice to talk to him before you left for the Games in the morning. You slipped out from under the covers and padded into the main living area. It was empty save for Genji as he peered out of the window into the horizon of the Capitol. The lights played off his face, making the young Avox look younger and more depressed than his cheery demeanor he put on every day. Maybe you can make him smile one more time?

“Hey.” You quietly acknowledged, going to the window seat and sitting opposite of the Avox. Genji gave a small smile and he turned his glance to something behind you. Did you wake someone? You turned your head to Jesse walking out towards you and Genji, his hands up in surrender.

“Came to talk. Couldn’t sleep.” Jesse muttered as he sat next to you. Genji stood to his feet and pointed to the kitchen, walking away to give you two privacy.

Damn it Jesse! You wanted to at least reaffirm your commitment to help Genji. Jesse shuffled around in his spot until you decided to give him more room. You slid into the previous spot Genji once occupied, the need to stay away from Jesse growing with every destructive thought that could boil to the surface of your mind. You didn’t want to be manipulated again. It was painful, it installed false confidence, and it will cost you your life as soon as you step foot in the arena. Instead of turning your attention to Jesse, you opted to look out into the Capitol instead. Neon lights decorated the area, silhouettes of the citizens danced in the windows of other buildings. All of them were chatting, laughing, and probably joking about the Games. You didn’t know whether to take comfort in the sight or shudder with revoltion.

“Darling-”

“I’m not your darling.” You flinched at how callous your statement was. You never got this verbally mad, usually you conveyed your negative moods through physical violence. A couple specks of rain smacked against the window, a gentle tap which the music in your mind seemed to agree with. A lazy tap as your breath fogged the window, the few taps of rain slowly increasing in speed. It was a noise you loved, it relaxed your tense nerves.

“What do you expect tomorrow?” You looked over at Jesse, his eyes looking out over the city like you were. Is he going somewhere with this question? As much as you wanted to pry into his thoughts, you knew he’d shut you out if you tried. Might as well humor the outsider before tomorrow catches up to the both of you. You swallowed thickly, “Lots of deaths. Idiots like to run for the Cornucopia but with the Careers and their years of training, I doubt anybody would survive.”

“So you’re not heading there?”

“Nope.” It could be seen as a bad move to tell Jesse your plans for tomorrow but because he and the Careers are heading for the Cornucopia, you and your team will be long gone after they cleared out the weaker competition.

“I thought you could handle the heat?” You couldn’t help as a snort of laughter pass through your nose, “I’m dangerous but I’m smart enough to know a bad move when I see it.”

“Mind explaining?” You turned to Jesse, his dark eyes traced on you. His body was somewhat tense but relaxed at the same time. If only you could determine what was provoking both responses. You opened your mouth to speak, pausing at the possible idea Jesse might use this knowledge to his advantage in the arena. The rain picked up in speed, the distant sound of thunder crashing against your ears. Sad violin music started up in your mind, making you shudder. You tried not to think about what Jesse was capable of in the arena, how dangerous he can be.

“Think about it: it would be me versus roughly seven tributes not including you and your Career Pack.” You didn’t spare a glance at Jesse, waiting for a noise or a verbal confirmation that he understood. No noise reached your ears, except for the outsider to be shuffling into a more comfortable position. You hesitated for a moment before you explained further, “I’d have to fight over twelve people and the odds of grabbing a weapon before one of those twelve people is not a great one. I’d rather survive in the elements and procure weapons later than die trying to get my hands on one right off the bat.”

Silence fell over the room, a flash of lightning overhead illuminated the room, casting shadows of the furniture and decorations in the room. The sound of lips parting had your eyes straining to the side, trying to seem uninterested in what Jesse had to say.

“What’s going to happen to us?”

Us? Since when the hell were you two that close? Your gaze drifted towards Jesse, his body leaning against the other part of the window. His eyes were downcast, staring at something in his hand. Maybe it was a bad idea to peek over and see what he held in his hands, maybe it was a bad idea to crawl over, but your curiosity got the better of you. As slowly and cautiously as you could muster, you found yourself sitting next to Jesse, peering at the object in his hand.

In the palm of his hand, rested a stone on a leather cord. It was smooth and polished, in the shape of an oval. The color was a magnificent shade of blue you have never seen before. It had streaks of red mixed into it, a lovely accent to the bright opaque blue that engulfed most of the stone.

“I had to smuggle this beauty more often than you think.” The loud voice made you jump, not used to the noise in the silence. Your eyes met Jesse’s searching for something to hint he was trying to manipulate you again. Repressed memories were flitting in Jesse’s field of vision, the dark brown orbs equally scanning your eyes.

“I stole this from my ma and through the years, I kept it on me. Maybe I should’ve gotten rid of it or sold it but I didn’t. Then I smuggled it in here and maybe I shouldn’t have but I did it anyways.” His voice sounded as though nostalgia was getting to him. It didn’t sound as though he was sad about any of it. There was pain in Jesse’s voice and your instincts to protect him were welling up again. Seriously, was he deceiving you again? It was getting harder and harder to resist putting up a cold front to protect yourself. Tentatively, your fingers dared to venture towards the stone, feeling the smooth rock glide under your fingertips.

It was nice and cool, the feel similar to water flowing down a river. The sensation reminded of you when you were a child and played in a river on the other side of the district. Those were happier times, times where the Games couldn’t touch you, the times where your parents weren’t waking you up early for training, and the times where life was peaceful. A smile ghosted your lips and a soft chuckle from Jesse raised your head. His smile was tired, reminiscent, and it lifted one corner of his lip, as his gaze dropped back to the stone.

“I guess this thing is one of the only reminders I have of when I was a kid.”

“At least you have something.” You were surprised at how hollow and empty your voice sounded like. Jesse leaned forward, his free hand reaching to the sparrow necklace wrapped around your neck. His fingers pinched the pendant, his thumb rubbing over the sparrow’s body, “I don’t remember this little birdie.” A couple more strokes before Jesse sighed, “Genji?”

“Yeah. I made him a promise to wear it.”

“It was supposed to be for his old lady.”

“Old lady?”

“Girlfriend, wife, fiance...” Jesse listed off, his accent getting thicker with each word. Was drowsiness taking a hold of him? Or was Jesse doing that on purpose? So much for your observation skills. Arms wrapped around your body, the strong arms hauling you in between Jesse’s legs. You stared up at him in confusion. Seriously? Did he like you or not? The rain rattled against the windows a bit harder, the thunder rumbling and roaring to life. Storms weren’t scary yet the noise reminded you of Peacekeeper gunfire. It made you twitch.

“Scared?”

“No, it’s too loud.” You muttered against Jesse’s tank top, the tribute kissed the top of your head as you felt the rain’s lullaby swoon your weary mind.

“Mind making me a promise darling?”

“Sure.” A tired sigh escaped your lips. The insomnia was ebbing away. Jesse’s grip on you was a bit tighter as his whisper tickled your ears, “Promise me that if one of us is in trouble, we’ll help the other out?” Mirthless chuckles escaped your lungs as you sarcastically whipped out, “Aren’t we going to be in trouble as soon as we set foot into the arena?”

“You know what I mean.” An aroma of spices flooded your nose as you softly pressed yourself back into his chest. It would make sense wouldn’t it? If you lost Lucio and Efi, surrounded by other hostile tributes, you could always rejoin the Career Pack. Right?

“So if I lost my allies, your allies wouldn’t have a problem of me joining ranks?”

“I’d vouch for ya.” Jesse purred, his chest causing a pleasant vibration to course through your body. He craned his head downwards, his lips inches from yours. He was right, he’s quite the charmer.

“I’ll do it only if you promise not to kill me.” Chapped lips crashed into yours, the feeling of a smile made your mood lighten. This was nice and you were going to relish every damn minute before tomorrow. You two parted, somewhat breathless. The hum reverberated against your lips, Jesse cupping your cheek. His thumb caressed your cheekbone as his lips hovered over yours. Your turn.

“You taste mighty fine darling.”

“So do you.” You didn’t give him a chance to slip in another word as you pressed your lips against his. His taste was foreign as the guys you kissed tasted like the tang of metal you would train with; Jesse tasted more of an earthy tone, something to corroborate with the lower slums of District Two. You knew better as Jesse wasn’t from your district and you wish you could know the full story but tonight wasn’t about that. Actually you didn’t know what it was about; you were just going with the flow.

Jesse pulled back, as you both gasped for air. A shaky laugh echoed in the air. His smile disappeared as though he realized the morbid truth about tomorrow. You wrapped your hands around the outsider’s neck and pulled yourself a bit higher, your forehead bumped with Jesse’s. He hugged you a bit closer as he whispered, “Will you come sleep with me?”

“Yes.” No hesitation as Jesse carried you off to his room, the doors parting automatically and sliding shut once you two were far enough inside. Maybe you were expecting it to be a little bit more sexually intimate instead, Jesse laid you out on the bed, as gently as he could. You dove under the covers, watching as Jesse clambered in next to you. He slung a protective arm around your waist, pressing another kiss to your lips. His hand came up to trace your cheeks as he huffed out, “Might be the last time I ever see ya.” A sigh left him as he managed to press closer to your body, sneaking in another kiss. You reciprocated as you wrapped your arms around his neck, giving one more peck as you both drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm debating on whether to setup a Ko-Fi or not. But the Games start tomorrow (in their universe)! Let the awesome stuff begin! Mwahaha!!


	10. Day 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (F/C): Favorite Color  
> (Y/N): Your Name

Hot air tickled your ear, a light snore once in a while purring. It was quite soothing along with the warm body you cuddled with. Reality was trying to rip you away from the serenity you were subconciously cataloging. Your predator brain was creating a lovely tune from the noise and sensations you were currently feeling, in the case the Games were longer than needed. Usually it lasted five days at most but the longest in recorded history was roughly a month. As you laid there, orchestrating a tune for the impending event, the warm body shifted, arms wrapping more securely around your waist. A groan against your ear made you shiver, “Lets sleep in today.”

This was going to complicate things further if he continued on with his actions. Legs intertwined with yours as Jesse pressed a kiss to your temple. You tipped your head up, letting both of your lips mingle together, a few lazy kisses before you dared to open your eyes. Sunlight lit up Jesse’s room, making you instantly regret your decision. You closed your eyes again as you tried to relish in Jesse’s presence a bit longer, tucking your head into his neck. Drifting off, you were awoken by the clack of heels against the tile floor, a soft swoosh before that accursed voice sang, “Rise and shine! Today’s the day!”

Fuck you, Silvia. Fuck. You.

“Come now, breakfast and then you’re off. We have a schedule to keep to.” Blankets were ripped from you, the sunlight made your eyes flutter.

“Oh (Y/N)! I didn’t know you were in here!” Groggily, you sat up, confused by the sudden flash of light. Your hair felt as though it was everywhere, static clicking against the air. Jesse followed you, yawning out a stretch, arms spread out, “It beats Gabe’s bucket of water.” Gabe?

Silvia clapped her hands with urgency, “Get up, get dressed, eat, and head outside.” She spun around, her high heels clicking against the tiles again as she headed towards the main area. Echo’s of Jack and Silvia bounced off the walls, tone of resignation but you couldn’t distinguish the words.

“I’m going to take a shower.” You murmured, slowly clawing your way out of the sheets. Why did your room have to be far away? Too tired for this shit. A bllurr of red filled your vision, making you blink a couple times for your brain to try to catch up with what just happened. Genji stood in front of you, presenting a simple (F/C) tank top and black atheltic shorts. Your stylist was going to dress you once again but it was to help you survive the arena’s habitat, climate, and weather patterns.

The Avox winked at you, a smile on his face. Shit, did he believe the romantic interactions too? Okay stop lying to yourself, you did have feelings for Jesse and it was a problem. You didn’t know what the heck Genji was planning on this interaction going off to but you were still tired and your brain wasn’t a hundred percent up and running. Your hands grabbed your clothes, Genji’s hand grabbing a tiny notepad from somewhere in his yukata, flipped to a new page, a pencil scratching over the blank pages, **I think you and Jesse should enjoy each other for a bit before you head out. I’ll cover for you.** Bless Genji’s soul!

“Thanks Genji. I promise we’ll try to keep it short.” Genji was someone you’d consider a friend as he helped you when you were at your lowest and you still planned on helping him when the time comes. Genji gave a short bow, his red yukata now designed with yellow and orange koi fish, his sash a bright green with scales reminiscent to crocodile scales. Hmm, an indirect way of favoring you in the games? Probably. There was no time to dwell on it though as you should start the day. Quickly, you padded into Jesse’s bathroom, an identical to yours. With a sigh, you set your clothes on the counter by the sink. You looked up in the mirror and watched as Jesse walked in.

“Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing?” You accused, whirling around to Jesse, poking him in the chest with a finger. The proximity between you was setting your nerves on edge. Was this another game? It better not be or else you were going to start swinging! It was too early for this shit!

“Don’t worry sweetcheeks,” Jesse laughed, pushing you so you were pinned between the sink and his body. Okay, you had a strong resolve, you need to suppress the warmth pooling in your lower body. Shit…shit…shiiiiiit…

“I like how you look.”

“What look?”

“You look flustered.” Jesse chuckled as he leaned in further, his lips inching towards yours. Hands pressed against his chest, you pushed him back a bit, having enough space to slip free. You opened the shower door and turned on the water, casually looking over your shoulder at the smirking outsider.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to get ready.” It was hard to sound serious when you were trying to ignore these feelings for him. Jesse was playing you like a fiddle. You need to work on blocking your feelings once you won the games. Your mind and heart can’t take much more of this cat-and-mouse game. Cold water greeted your hand as you waited for the water to adjust to your ideal temperature. Should you undress whil he was in here?

A soft rustle made you turn back at Jesse. You had to beat down the blush as your eyes roamed Jesse’s bare chest. He was muscular, his skin the same color except for scars etched on his body. Some looked like closed bullet holes, others animal claw marks and bites, and a couple slashes of clean knife marks.

“Enjoying the view?” Jesse’s voice was cocky, and you turned around, putting your hand back under the water. A tad bit hot, but that’s okay you can adjust it once inside. When Jesse wasn’t facing you, you’ll throw your clothes off and shower quickly. Yeah, good plan.

Warmth crawled under your skin as Jesse walked up behind you, pulling you into his body, his lips kissing your shoulders. You’d be lying if you said it wasn’t turning you on and you’d also be lying if you said you couldn’t feel Jesse’s erection against your clothed ass.

“Darlin’,” Jesse pressed two more kisses on the back of your neck and you were burning with arousal, “let me show you how much I like ya.” It was a bad idea, a very bad idea, but consequences be damned! You showed your neck to Jesse in submission; your reward was those chapped lips kissing and lightly nipping at your skin, being careful not to leave a mark. His hands trailed down to the hem of your shirt, pulling it up over your head and arms, your boobs now exposed to the air.

You felt a hand skim your stomach, it flinched under the warm callouses, the hand dipping under the waistband of your pants. A soft gasp rushed out of your chest as Jesse bit more rough than his nips, fingers finding your clit and entrance. Maybe you shouldn’t proceed, you don’t kow how much trouble you both will get into for this! Your clamped your thighs shut in an attempt to stop Jesse’s progress, trapping his fingers against your sensitive areas. At this time, steam had taken hold of the bathroom, clouding the mirror, starting to make you sweat, and your body was on fire with arousal.

“Come on sweetpea,” Jesse growled, moving his fingers to rub against your clit roughly and fast, making you weak in the knees, whimpering at the contact. Pleasure bounced in your body as you listened to that sinful voice continue, “I’ll make you feel good and how much I like you.”

Your mind was clouded with need for more physical contact as your pants were yanked down off your body, pooling around your ankles, Jesse following suit. It was hard to comprehend what was going on until your body was thrown into the shower, the sound of wet footsteps joining you followed by the sound of a door closing. Your body spun around only to be pinned once again, Jesse’s lips colliding with yours. Teeth clacked, tongues fought, and you writhed against the toned body as one hand grabbed your nipple while the other paid special attention to your entrance. Your hands were pinned between both of your bodies, useless to stop the assault as Jesse pinched and rubbed one nipple inbetween his fingers, making you moan and whine when he pulled it sharply upwards. He repeated the same treatment to the other as his lips claimed your over and over again.

This man was talented! Never once in your life had you had a man who could make you feel like putty with a kiss alone as his tongue traced your teeth and twisted with yours in a rhythmic dance. The music in your head was helping you feel as though this was a romantic encounter and not what you feared it would be. An exciteable melody played in your mind filled with wind instruments, playing in tandem with the two fingers thrusting into your body. It’d hit the spot just right. You tried to grind down on the fingers only for them to be pulled away.

“Damn Jesse!” You breathlessly moaned as you opened your eyes that you forgot had closed. The grin on his face was cheeky, biting your clavicle, making you arch into Jesse’s chest.

“As much as I’d like to savor you, we need to pick this up.” You were lowered onto your back, the spray of water a lot weaker than you remember. Specks of water landed on your face as Jesse wrapped your legs around his torso, his cock throbbing up and down onto your clit. You couldn’t believe you were letting this happen! Your lust filled mind disregarded all the pride and consequences as you arched your hips a bit to grind against Jesse.

“Please, please fuck me!” You begged, as a thumb descended on your clit but didn’t move. You needed this fire to go away! You wanted this so bad and you hoped Jesse wanted it as badly as you did.

“The pleasure is all mine.” Jesse growled as he pulled back and thrust himself completely into you, sheathing you to the hilt of his cock. A low moan escaped him as he let you adjust. He was thick and you felt his cock twitch in anticipation. Your walls clamped around his cock flush with you, the stretch made you moan with lust. Subconsciously, you flexed your walls around Jesse’s cock.

SLAM!

You jolted as a hand slammed against the water soaked tiles, Jesse’s face close to yours as he growled, “I knew you always wanted me. The moment you fought me, I knew hpw bad you wanted this.” Jesse pulled out before slamming back in, his pace fast and hard. You couldn’t form any rational thoughts except to moan, gasp, and whine as he continued his pace. Your fingers scrambled for purchase along Jesse’s back, swearing you felt blood as your nails broke the surface of his skin. Distorted gutteral noises broke out of your throat when Jesse’s hand slithered between your rocking forms, rubbing as fast as he could over your clit.

“Shit! Please- ah! I’m close!” Air was forced out of your lungs with each forceful thrust Jesse pummeled into your body, ramming his cock against your sweet spot, over and over again. You leaned up, catching Jesse’s earlobe in between your teeth, tugging and biting it with urgency.

“Fuck, shit!” You lost it when Jesse gripped your hips, slamming and holding himself inside you as he spilt into you. White lights exploded around your vision, swearing you could see stars flutter across your vision. Jesse draped himself over your body, the grinding against your clit had you whimpering like a sad puppy. No one has ever been able to make you feel so much at a high intensity. Usually you had to finish yourself off.

Trying to catch your breath, you tipped your head back as though it’d open your windpipe wider. Jesse was breathless as he laughed, “This look looks good on you.”

“What look?”

“Looks as though the Almighty fucked you himself.” You weakly slugged Jesse’s arm. Smartass. That felt nice and as much as you’d like to bask in the afterglow, you did have to get ready for the Games. This wasn’t going to be a fun week.

Uneven breaths turned into a calm rhythm, Jesse withdrawing from you. You winced a bit from the absence of Jesse, a tiny bit of pain before fading. Jesse stood up, blocking all the water from your body, starting to wash his hair under the water. Gues it was a casual fuck, no big deal. You felt a bit hurt but the Games were a pressing concern. You both switched, your body finally feeling the semi chilled water bathe your body, removing all the grime and evidence of what had transpired in the shower.

You both moved and washed in silence, switching between soaping, rinsing, and let the cool water remove anything revolting off your skin. You were the first one to exit, opening the shower door and finding a towel over your clothes. You dried yourself off as quickly as you could, wiping excess water off your body. Quietly, you pulled on your clean clothes and exited the bathroom, letting Jesse do his thing while you went to grab breakfast.

Genji smiled at your entry, gesturing for an order. Anxious nauseua twisted your gut so something a little light today would be ideal.

“Just toast and eggs, please.” You muttered as you sat at the table, Silvia daintily sipping at her tea from fine china with the designs of blue flowers. Silence was the only noise your ears registered until the faint noise of footsteps and the sound of a chair being pulled out signaled Jesse’s presence.

“You two are quiet today.” Silvia remarked, a knowing smirk on her face. You rolled your eyes as Genji served you your food for the day. You nibbled at your toast, trying to block out the escort as you replayed the shower scene again. That was probably the only time you’ll let yourself become vulnerable ever again.

“Remember you two: you’re safer in numbers, get away from the Cornucopia, and you’re fighting for your lives in there. If push comes to shove, you need to kill.” Jack gruffly remarked as Genji served Jesse his choice of breakfast. He ate as slow of a pace as you. Guess you weren’t the only one reflecting on what had happened in the shower. No words were said as the rest of the morning passed with tension.

Soon it was time to leave. You clutched the sparrow pendant around your neck, as you looked over to Genji. Silvia and Jack had their backs turned to you concerning Jesse. You quickly closed the gap between yourself and Genji, the both of you hugging one another in farewell.

“I promise I’ll get this back to Mercy.” You whispered ino his ear. The Avox nodded and gave a tight squeeze before relinquishing you. You shot a smile in his direction before running to the door just as Jesse came in wearing his hat again. Jack took the lead, passing you to stand by Jesse while Silvia took up the rear. A leather clad hand grabbed yours, and interlaced his fingers with yours. Morrison stopped at the door to the elevator, he pressed the button, the elevator dinged with each passing floor. Your thumb traced over the leather, the texture helping to soothe your anxiety.

Eventually, the doors opened to admit the party inside. Jack stood off to the side, gesturing you and Jesse to step in first. You and Jesse turned to one another before walking into the elevator.

“Oh, I’m so excited!” Silvia bubbled out excitedly, clapping her hands rapidly.

“Yeah, watching teenagers fight for their lives while you sit back and watch. Such good times.” You couldn’t hold back the sarcasm as the elevator slowly ascended towards the roof. Jesse guwaffed at your statement, snickering into his free hand as he laughed, “And this is why I love you darlin’.” As much as your heart fluttered at those three crucial words, your paranoia told you to be wary. You leaned your head against Jesse’s shoulder and whispered back, “I love you too.”

“Keep up your act, and you’re guaranteed your pistol, McCree.” Damn instincts were right, it was all an act but then why would Jesse oblige to the shower thing? Was it a way to keep an eye on you? To control you? As much as you’d like to angrily burst out in violence and swearing till you’re blue in the face, you opted to ignore your mentor. Let this be a blissful delusion you can enjoy until your nightmare became reality.  

It was too soon as the elevator doors parted, the harsh sunlight made both you and Jesse wince. Blindness was your friend for a couple seconds before it cleared to the giant helicarrier resting on the roof, hull open and waiting for both you and Jesse to board. You spied beside the helicarrier the escort and the mentor of District One, chatting between each other. Silvia stood to your right while Jack took Jesse’s left, you all walking in a straight line. The Peacekeepers lining the way to the hull made you want to snap from formation and kill them all.

The hum of the helicarrier made your heart restrict painfully with anxiety. This is it, the last time you get to enjoy what sanity you had left, no mental damage, and this thing between you and Jesse. The pressure tightening around your hand made you squeeze back with the same desperation for physical contact.

“Come on, we are on a tight schedule.” Silvia started hurrying forward a bit more as a Peacekeeper gestured his head towards the death trap. Jack, Jesse, and you tried to speed up away from the elevator. A Peacekeeper came out of nowhere hitting you with the butt of his rifle against your shoulder. Pain dug under your scapula, igniting you to go into fight or flight mode. The voice of Silvia and Jack didn’t register to your ears. You whipped around on the man and socked him right in the face, not caring about the consequences. Guns were aimed at your body, with the sound **ch-chk!**

Silvia screeched with surprise while Jack managed to put himself between you and the Peacekeeper who was an idiot who had the audacity to strike you.

“Whoa, hang on there fellers,” Jesse started his hands up in the air signaling his surrender. You flared your nose in anger, slowly raising your arms to mimic Jesse, “we’ll be on that ship soon. No rush.”

“Motherfucking morons.” You hissed at the Peacekeeper, grabbing Jesse’s hand again as you both hurried to the temporary safety of the helicarrier. Silvia and Jack trailed after the both of you, their footsteps heavy and loud. Stupid assholes! As much as you wanted to scream and shout at your predicament along with killing all the Peacekeepers, you opted to squeeze Jesse’s hand.

“It’s alright darlin’, I don’t blame you for what you did.” He muttered as you both finally made it to the entrance. Before you could walk in, you were stopped by two technicians, you didn’t care to study their face as they both grabbed your left arm and Jesse’s too, a gun placing against your forearm, the injection painful, the chip blinking under your skin.

“They’re trackers,” one of the technicians started as Jesse hissed from the pain, “it’ll help us keep track of you. Health status, location, and when your vitals stop.”

“Might as well not sugar coat it. Just say when “you die”, not like all of us are getting out of this shithole.” Jesse groused, rubbing his arm as one of the technicians led you both to your seats. To your dismay, it looked as though they were bringing up districts in numerical order. Hana Song and Alexander were already strapped into their seats, ready to go. Alexander had the wall to his left, while Hana had Alexander to her left along with an impending seat waiting to be filled. Her face was bright as she waved excitedly, “Hi Jesse!”

“Hey Hanners!” Jesse took the spot nearest Hana, leaving you to sit on McCree’s right. You took the harness and strapped yourself in, not even going to try and bother to talking to the Careers. You leaned your head back on the cool metal wall, closing your eyes as you tried to think about anything not games related. Slowly, from the pitch black of vision to a memory you let play as you anxiously await for the accursed helicarrier to leave.

* * *

_It had started on the second week of training. You were fighting another combatant, his face blurry and washed out like a photograph submerged underwater for long periods of time. Bob and weave, just bob and weave. You ducked under a right hook, before springing back up on the balls of your feet. The opponent kept coming towards you. Right hook. Lunge. Recover._

_Right hook. Lunge. Recover._

_Right hook. Lunge. Recover._

_Soon the movements of your opponent turned into a beat. Boom, swish, spat! A drum sounded on the right hook, making you swish underneath the opponent’s outstretched arm, and bounce straight up, delivering an upper cut. Your opponent staggered, reeling from the impact in both pride and from the punch._

* * *

“(Y/N)! Can you hear me now?!” You were startled awake by the loud musical voice. Standing in front of you was Lucio, happy and hyper as can be. His bright green tank top with a frog logo on it made you tilt your head in confusion. Let’s hope the Games take place in a rain forest or else Lucio’s going to have a hard time blending in. Said guy was laughing at you as you blearily rubbed your eyes.

“How you doing, Lucio?” You asked out of formality. Lucio rolled his shoulders and bounced on his feet excitedly, “Mm…Mm…I’m feeling some good vibrations!” A wide smile and bright energy replaced the memory of your dreaded music, feeling a hundred percent better around Lucio. It made you feel more confident in teaming up with him and Efi. You looked over to the young girl, noticing how she was shifting uncomfortably against the harness clicked in front of her chest.

“What’s wrong with Efi?” Lucio looked from his partner to you and replied, “Ah she’s just nervous, first time flying. Told her it’s everyone’s first time flying so she wouldn’t be so nervous.” He finished with a shrug. A technician grabbed Lucio’s arm, “Come on, we’re about to take off.” It made you look to your right to a guy with dark brown hair, square glasses, and he was fidgeting nervously. Maybe you should talk to him? You glanced over to Lucio and Efi as they started talking to one another, Lucio staying upbeat and making Efi laugh as the helicarrier’s engines went from silent to a high pitched squeal.

Engines roared to life, the feeling of air underneath your feet, making you weightless. Higher and higher you climbed, the only light coming from the window leading to the cockpit, leaving you to imagine the outside. Probably cutting through the clouds, more like savagely butchering the clouds instead of sailing through them like a bird. A wild lurch made everyone on board either screech with fear or gasps of surprise. Jesse’s hand found yours again, his grip a painful vice around your fingers.

“Ow…” Sure it sounded exaggerated but his grip did hurt. Jesse’s skin was pale, hand clammy, swallowing thickly, and his eyes were closed. You withdrew your handfrom his vice with a couple shakes before finding his hand again, lacing your fingers together with his. Your thumb went back to stroking back and forth over the back of his hand.

“Wasn’t made for flying.” Jesse grumbled, swallowing again. Please don’t let Jesse hurl. Please don’t let Jesse hurl. Please don’t let Jesse hurl! A mantra that repeated in your head until your helicarrier landed on solid ground.

* * *

You had been separated from Jesse and your friends, four Peacekeepers on you instead of two Peacekeepers ever since the incident before putting you on the flight. How did you know about the number of Peacekeepers? That was thanks to Thistle whom was dressing you right now. He made you strip out of your tank top and black shorts, making you wear the athletic track suit you wore during the lethiality rating. Thistle had shirk your tennis shoes for thick black boots. He also gave you a belt with multiple pockets which blended in with your track suit. Everything was lightweight, thin, and Thistle gave you a chest plate to cover you from melee weapons and other throwing projectiles you might encounter from other tributes.

The metal wasn’t at all inhibiting as you shrugged it on. It was light and it blended in with your suit. It shouldn’t be noticeable unless you were in direct sunlight. Next you were given leather gloves and as you put them on, Thistle commented, “The thin material is supposed to help you stay cool and even though it’s a dark color, your material wouldn’t be able to trap the heat in. If you haven’t picked up on it already, you’re going to be competeing in a hotter climate.”

You nodded in understanding. Hydration and heat were going to be the invisible problem during the Games while you had to be more concerned about other tributes coming after you and your team. It made you wonder what kind of things they’re receiving from their stylists. What about Jesse? Would he be wearing the same thing as you or would he wear be wearing something completely different?

“Fifteen sconds.” You looked up for the speakers yet none were found. Thistle pushed you towards the tube but he spun you around for one last hug before letting you step inside the tube. Slowly, the tube rose upwards, Thistle disappearing beneath your feeet as you breeched the surface.

Hot air robbed you of any comfort, the dry breeze making you break out into a sweat. The sun beat down with massive mallets of heat, the reflection of the sunbeam reflecting off the Cornucopia. It was shaped like an insect called the scorpion, only seeing them in books. It was massive, made of black concrete, a stark contrast to the red dusty scenery. Everyone was evenly spaced between one another, you weren’t even in numerical order. To your left was a guy from district nine, his skin yellow and gold like grain, his face filled with fear. Your eyes scanned the circle of tributes trying to find Lucio, Efi, and Jesse.

Lucio was the closest to you, he was five spots away to your left, his gaze levelled towards the Cornucopia. Did he forget the plan already? You both discussed these crucial details yesterday! Your eyes found Jesse next, closest to the Cornucopia, astonished by his attire. He was wearing on olive green button up, chest armor, a red bandana around his neck, heavy dark jeans, and thick cowboy boots that matched his hat. A rugged look for a handsome man.

“Five…” Jesse crouched, ready to sprint. Every tribue seemed to be determined to sprint forward. You only stood still as you surveyed your competition.

“Four…” Wait, where’s Efi? You swiveled your head around in panic. There was no sign of her!

“Three…” The heat was making you feel a bit more aggressive as you realized the people to your left and right were eyeing you. Probably wanted to dispatch you before taking on Jesse and the Careers. Looks like you might be fighting.

“Two…” Sweat trailed down your back while the urge to fight clawed from your chest to your throat. This bloodlust wasn’t going to help you in this situation; the plan was to retreat and survive as best as you can.

“One…”

The airhorn rang throughout the arena, everyone sprinting towards the Cornucopia. You jumped backwards off the platform, your boots collided with the gground, kicking up dust as you landed. With a twist, you headed in the opposite direction of the tributes, unfortunately, you weren’t alone. The men who were eyeing you earlier, a guy who was similarly as buff as McCree and another one with red hair and freckles, tackled you to the ground, their fists flying towards your face.

As your trainers have taught you, you raised your arms as best as you could, blocking the incoming assault. Shit! A body was pinned over your legs while another body on your chest was pinning you to the ground. Damn it! This is leaving you open for attack!

“Woohoo!” The body on your chest was knocked away, your view obstructed by your arms. You recognized the war cry and shot up, digging your fingers into one of the tributes eyes. Soft flesh caved under your nails and the pressure of your fingers, wrenching an inhuman howl as hands flew to his eyes.

“You stupid bitch! I can’t see !”

Boom!

First casualty.

Boom! Boom! Second and third. You pushed the blinded tribute away, watching the red head writhe on the ground. Directing your attention towards the Cornucopia, you watched as Jesse effortlessly used a sling you previously taught him to knock out two more tributes. The cannon fire kept going off, and you knew you needed to get out of there but first-

“Hey, got some survival packs, let’s go!” Lucio threw a large green backpack into your hands, darting off behind you. The blinded tribute was crying now. Tears and blood running down his cheeks, “Please don’t leave me here! Please dont!” Lucio heard his pleas and jogged back to you both. Your eyes were cold; this asshole had tried to kill you and now he was begging for help? What kind of tribute goes back on his word?

_‘Jesse.’_

Your mind supplied the answer with ease. Instincts are telling you to leave the blind tribute to his fate while you searched for Efi and retreated with Lucio but nothing exactly goes according to plan. A high pitched scream echoed through the canyon, almost unrecognizable over the sounds of the cannon firing.

“Lucio, help me!” It was Efi.

You spotted her not too far away from the Cornucopia, desperately scooting away as far from she can, Alexander hovering a spear over her body. Shit! There was no hesitation in your movements as you threw the green backpack down to the ground, your feet pounding against the ground, kicking up dust in your wake.

“(Y/N)!” It wasn’t Lucio’s voice and for now you didn’t really care who was screaming for you. Efi was in danger and about to be killed by the sadistic tribute from District One. Lungs screamed for air, burning from over-exertion, as you tried to beat the odds, not wanting Efi to die by Alex’s hands. A glint of metal glimmered in the sunlight by the body of a tribute with an arrow lodged in the side of their head. You scooped up  the metal effortlessly, nearly dropping it from how much heat it had already absorbed. It felt as though you were carrying the fires of Hell in your hands, burning your skin with each step.

Alex poised over Efi like a spider looming over its ensnared prey. Efi trembled in fright, not ready to die! She trembled, trying to keep back her tears.

“P-please! Don’t kill me!” She begged as best as she could. She had been behind the Cornucopia, her view obstructed by the behemoth of a structure housing weapons and supplies. At the time, it seemed smart enough to try and sneak in to try to steal supplies for the three of you to share. Until she came face to face with Alex. Earning her position she’s currently facing. Alex didn’t ponder about the option to spare Efi, he raised his spear high, ready to impale the smallest tribute. Efi closed her eyes not wanting to watch the weapon of mass destruction strike her. This was it, the end.

Alex let out a war-cry, thrusting with all his might downwards until a small, sharp object pierced his right thigh.

“OW! FUCK!” Efi opened her eyes to see Alex on the ground, cradling his thigh as a knife protruded from the right side. You occupied her view, helping her to her feet.

“Come on Efi,” You coaxed, grabbing her arm as you started running, the smaller tribute trying to match your pace, “we need to get out of here as fast as we ca-” Your words cut off as you howled with pain. Something had struck you in the back, making you stumble before you will ed yourself to continue running. Lucio can treat you once you guys had found some relatively safe shelter.

The Gamemakers can be dicks and compromise your hideout whenever they please. You ran as fast as you could muster, each step causing pain to richochet up your spine, rattling your pain with the sheer amount of agony each step took. Your vision was exploding with white sparks, vision slightly darkening. You weren’t going to die today! A body ducked under your left arm, an arm wrapping reassuringly around your lower back.

“Efi, grab that green bag and follow me! I think I spotted a place to hide!” Your vision swam, distortion of colors went from the reds of the canyon to the dark black’s, and purple’s of oblivion. If you were honest with yourself, you weren’t sure if you ever passed out or not. The next thing you remember is staring at a red rock, the back of your shirt gathered up to the middle of your back. Calloused fingers flitted over your lower back, gentle and careful like a medic should be.

“Sorry about this (Y/N),” the voice of Lucio calm and nice against the chaos you had partaken in today, “Hana managed to lodge a knife into your back.” So that’s what hit you and who was the culprit. You tried to reply but something made out of leather occupied your mouth. Great…

A scream was wrenched from your throat, muffled by the leather. It felt as though Lucio was removing a bone from your spine, not bothering to warn you of the painful muscletears. Tears ran down your cheeks as your fingers clawed at the ground for purchase. You wanted to hurt something right now, anything to help you forget the pain you were dealing with. The light footsteps made you turn your head to Efi as she fished out supplies from the green backpack you guys had gathered earlier. She pulled out bandages, handing them to Lucio.

“Is she going to be okay?”

“Well yes and no.”

“Huh?” Efi mimicked your confused grunt as with a swift yank, Lucio managed to dislodge what you believed to be the knife from your lower back. There was a feeling of warm liquid sliding down your back and you hoped it wasn’t blood. Gamemakers made a habit of their creations to sniff out blood even a miniscule amount had a whole pack of Gamemaker creation’s on their prey’s trail. You didn’t want your situation to be “the hunter became the hunted” scenario.

“(Y/N) should be okay, yes.”

“But?”

“But, if she wants to be a-okay, she needs to rest for a couple days.”

Yanking the leather out of your mouth, you spat out, “That’s not an option. We have to move or else get slaughtered by the Careers.” You haven’t seen them since you were stabbed by Hana and when you stabbed Alex. A sputter of laughter caught you off guard.

“What’s so funny?” The action confused you and you wanted clarification. Something cool dabbed at your wound, bringing the illusion of relief until a burning sensation took place.

“We’re on the rim of the canyon, far from the Careers and from the others.”

“How’d we get up here?”

“Couldn’t tell ya,” Lucio said, his voice offering a shrug, “I was too panicked to remember.” Can’t really argue with that since you can’t remember if you passed out or not.

Cool air began to cover your body, a soft blanket of reassurance as your body was starting to absorb heat. Limiting your exposure to the sun was going to be a crucial component to survival along with staying hydrated. Soon, time slipped out of your control, the night sky occupying the world above.

An anthem started playing in the night sky, forcing you to crane your neck painfully upwards. All the faces flashing before you didn’t matter but the number of them did. Six tributes were shown, which meant there were eighteen tributes left in the game. Usually bloodbath’s had a higher body count but I guess the mentor’s gave their tributes the same advice Jack gave you: stay away from the Cornucopia on the first day.

“Just to let you know (Y/N), McCree killed both of the guys who were trying to kill you.” Lucio offered as you felt a sticky substance connect a piece of gauze against your injury. Efi and Lucio moved to the front so they were in your line of sight. Efi brought the bag as well, taking inventory of what you guys had as Lucio explained, “I tackled the kid on your chest and before I could rough hi up enough to leave you alone, McCree swung a rock and struck the tribute in the head. Instant kill.”

Lucio’s cheery voice held no more cheer and more of resignation. You wanted to question him more but he pressed on.

“You know the kid you blinded?”

“Yeah?” Was this a verbal trap? You weren’t ready to play this game as you had previously done with Jesse. A moment of hesitation as Lucio started once more, “As soon as you ran for Efi, McCree just popped out of nowhere and slit the guy’s throat! I didn’t even have time to help the poor guy!”

Oh geez! It looks as though Lucio was more affected by McCree’s dispatching techniques than you blinding another person. You shook your head at Lucio though. You knew Lucio was probably going to offer the blinded tribute sanctuary but you all weren’t going to survive the games. It has never happened and the Gamemakers weren’t going to start now. Silence was the only thing you could offer, the stars twinkling overhead as the temperature lowered a few more notches. Damn, “Is there any thermal tarps in the bag Efi?”

“These?” In the bag were two tarps, one a sandy beige another a sandy beige but it had a tint of red. You could take the first watch but Efi beat you to the point, “I can take the first shift!” She seemed bright and happy, a much better tone than before when she was about to be skwered on a spear like a shishkibab. Efi threw on a sandy beige tarp around her shoulders while Lucio wrapped a tarp around your stoic form, crawling in next to you. He wasn’t invasive and he was burning hot like the sun. You felt an uncomfortable sweat cloud your pores as you closed your eyes.

At least the first day wasn’t as chaotic as you thought it was going to be and at least you can now focus without Jesse by your side. Somehow, that statement didn’t sit right with you as you drifted off to a light slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote smut for the first time in I want to say years and damn this chapter was a bitch to write! Still sticking with the schedule so another update next Wednesday! Hope you enjoyed!


	11. Day 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Y/N): Your Name

A wet drop splashed against your hair, rousing you from your sleep. Deserts rarely have rain unless it was monsoon season. As you were taught, monsoon season happened between late July and early September. It fit the timeline of the Reaping and this wasn’t a bad situation. The Gamemakers were probably going to force you guys to get to higher ground. You and your team were safe, for now.

“Hey (Y/N), how you feeling?” You looked over your shoulder at Lucio, his face betraying how exhausted he was. You lifted the tarp to find Efi sleeping in a comatose like state, her body curled into a fetal position, her back facing you. They had switched the night shift and you didn’t even pick it up.

Jesse’s manipulation made your emotions cloud your judgement, dulling your instincts.

As much as you’d like to dwell on Jesse, you pushed him to the back burner, focusing on your next move. The rain picked up a bit, turning into a light drizzle against the darkened landscape. You needed light to navigate this terrain as you didn’t want to walk straight off a cliff and dragging both Lucio and Efi with you. But the problem was if you did make a light to see, other tributes would be able to spot you and your group. Since you are the only fighter in the group who doesn’t even have a weapon, you would all be combat practice. You guys needed shelter and sooner would be better than later.

Efi snoozed on as you wiggled your way from under the tarp, feeling flashes of pain in your lower back, vision sparkling from your brain’s reaction. A hiss seethed through your clenched lips, one that didn’t go unnoticed by Lucio. He frowned as you made your way over, your footsteps light and cautious.

“You know I got this right?”

“I know, but the rain is the most pressing matter.”

“Why?” Lucio was pressing for answers and since he was your teammate, he did deserve to know what you knew about the desert’s weather patterns along with the hazards associated with it. Lucio brought the tarp over his head, opening an arm to accept your somewhat injured body to seek shelter from the rain. IT hurt to sit but you willed yourself to ignore the pain, Lucio’s arm wrapping around your waist, effectively cloaking you from the rain. What was once a drizzle now turned into full on pelting. Thunder rumbled across the sky, the ground vibrating from the sheer ferocity of the noise.

Leaning back against Lucio’s body, you felt safe and for once at peace. The little piece of serenity your mind managed to latch onto shattered as you heard a scream directly below your group. You clamped your hands down around your ears as the girl’s shriek had the potential to damage your sensitive hearing. As abrupt as the scream was, silence was sharper and quicker, eliminating the girl’s horrified screams. Another bought of thunder nearly muffled the distinct sound of a cannon firing into the sky.

Best move on with your explanation. You shuffled a bit closer to Lucio, the cold prickling against your skin from the rain. How could Efi sleep through this?

“I was taught back in training that there’s something called monsoon season. It ranges from the middle of summer to early fall. It brings a lot of rain storms, dust storms, and other hazardous weather. The worst thing about the season is the flooding. Depending on how much rain you get, it could cause a lot of damage and prevent us from traveling from place to place.”

Lucio’s voice was still as joyous and confident as the day you met the tribute.

“We’re on the rim of the canyon. It means everyone else is in a bowl that’ll fill up. We should be a-okay!”

“How about a shelter that’ll house us from the rain?” Your hand darted out to catch rain in your palm. It pelted against your skin feeling as though someone was punching the sensitive flesh as hard as they can. Geez Efi, how are you able to sleep through this?

“I guess living under a tarp wouldn’t be the best.” Lucio seemed to be peering out into the distance, his head bobbing and weaving from side to side. Was he waiting for something? You weren’t going to get much from sponsors unless their mentor did something to impress them. Jack didn’t favor you so doubts of getting anything courtesy of Jack were deeply rooted into your mind.

“Although now we have to deal with another problem: how are we going to find shelter without using light?” A problem you mulled a bit over.

Beep.

Beep.

“Oh there we go! A care package!”

You’ve heard about those, a tribute can get a care package from their district if and only if it contained items which wouldn’t kill people automatically. The privilege to issue deadly weapons into the arena was a sponsor privilege not districts. Lucio darted out from under the tarp, chasing after the package.

“Lucio! Be careful!” You didn’t want your medic to plunge off the side of a cliff for a care package.

Not even a minute after you screamed a warning to Lucio, he came rushing back with a box under his arm. He hastily ran back under the tarp, his body radiating off its own humidity. It wasn’t pleasant but it was tolerable. Like a kid at Christmas, Lucio tore off the twine rope and brown paper surrounding the box, revealing the contents inside.

Inside was a large jug that either you or Lucio can carry on your back, an item in shape of a gun paired with yellow glasses, and what looked like food rations of bread and jerky. Those were a big help in a scarce landscape like this one. Lucio unscrewed the top of the jug, placing it out in the rain, the noise of rain bullets smacking to the bottom of the jug making deep hollowed out noises like a low pipe. If you had to be more accurate, it sounded more like the noise you’d make with those big glass jugs, blowing over the lip of the item.

Your mind happily composed a piece which didn’t distract you. It combined the _tink_ of rain drops hitting the outside of the jug mixed with the _doonk_ of the water connecting with the bottom of the jug.

_Tink, tink tink, doonk. Tink, tink tink, doonk._

“I love nature, it makes the best music!” Lucio eagerly commented as he dug back into the box, bringing out what looked like a gun. It had an amplifier on the end, one you’d see when you had to train with your instructor’s simulating gunfire directions, so you can either engage based on the sound of a weapon you could handle or avoid the tribute if they’re carrying a weapon you didn’t know how to confront on your terms. The amplifier was a dark yellow, the glasses the same color as well.

It was intriguing to see Lucio seem happy at a weapon you considered useless. It could only produce music another thing you didn’t want other tributes to find you with.

“How is this going to help us?”

“The glasses let me see with sonic wavelengths. Essentially, we won’t be using light to navigate. I just need you and Efi to follow me and we’ll be relaxing with a roof over our heads in no time!” As he finished, he donned on the glasses, flicking a switch on the amplifier. The weapon glowed a bright yellow along with Lucio’s glasses. Great, you guys were now a walking beacon!

A flash of lightning cracked against the sky followed by a monstrosity of a BOOM! Efi jumped to her feet, the daylights scared out of her, her face soaking wet from the rain. She wrapped the tarp over her body, hurrying to the pair of you.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Efi asked, sounding a tad bit drowsy but mainly alert. You ducked out from Lucio, ducking under Efi’s tarp, acting as a makeshift umbrella ghost as you were taller than her. You held out your arms as widely as you can to give Efi enough room to move. She must’ve picked up on your intentions as she grabbed the backpack Lucio was guarding and slung it over her back. Lucio took the rations from the care package and stuffed them into the backpack before going over his equipment.

“We didn’t want you to think we were being attacked and you also took a night shift. You deserved to sleep.” Lucio donned on his glasses, pointing his amplifier into the dark abyss.

“Now stay close. Don’t want to lose my two ladies now!” Efi giggled at Lucio’s compliment and you smiled back too. His company was enjoyable and you didn’t have to worry about politics around him.

His natural friendly vibe made you feel at ease. The distinct sound of clicks of a trigger being pulled but you heard nothing except for the rain and Lucio’s footsteps. The soaked soil painted the bottom of everyone’s boots trying to find shelter. Sometimes Lucio would stop for a moment and do a double click of the weapon, before determining which direction you guys should head to. A lot of time has passed as the sky lightened a bit to signal the start of the late morning. It was a bit easier to see but not by much. The rain shielded the vision in front of you like a dense curtain.

It felt as though you guys were walking in circles since you couldn’t see too much in front of you before finally Lucio ran forwards, whooping with satisfaction.

“Wait! Lucio! Don’t leave us!” Efi called out as she tried to chase Lucio down. She darted out from the tarp and took off as fast as she could.

“Efi!” You snarled with distress. It was a bad idea to go chasing someone if you couldn’t see where you’re going and unfortunately you had to break your own rule. Efi was an inventor whose skills were valuable if you got the right materials prepped and ready for her to use. Plus, you needed her alive for obvious reasons. Mud squelched under your feet, tearing off after the youngest of the group. Your heart pounded rhythmically against your chest, your lungs conditioned to a fine point where there was no burn, and your muscles were cheering with joy at the movement. Your spine blasted bursts of pain since you weren’t a hundred percent yet.

“Efi!” You screamed out, a couple of screams caught your attention. It was coming from the right, and that’s what you were going to do. As fast as you could, you closed in on the shrieks, determined to find Efi and go back to Lucio. Rain coated every inch of your body, the chill setting into your spine, amplifying the pain from your lower back. You bit your tongue as the agony grew. You’re going to be screwed if any other tributes show up.

The rain was heavy and it didn’t help with the fog making up the background.

“Sh! I heard footsteps!” You paused at the voice. It wasn’t Efi’s voice and it certainly wasn’t Lucio’s. The voice was female, all excited and you heard a scuffle of feet. You spoke too soon! There was nowhere to hide as you stood in a circle of dark dense fog. You got into a fighting stance, ready to take out whoever has been tracking you. Your body was poised and ready to go, hands balled into fists, and your ears were flicking with every little noise. A scuffle to your left along with an exclamation of pain made you stay in place. It could be a rouse since no one can see and it’d lure in the prey.

You breathed deeply, prepping your muscles for an attack. Two dark silhouettes started walking towards you, their body language confused and by the looks of it, unarmed. Sweet! You can get rid of those without Lucio and Efi plus it will keep your team safe.

“Hey Brier! Hey Bronze!” It was Lucio’s voice. You scanned the area, a bit more desperate than you’d like to admit. The fuck Lucio?

“(Y/N)!” Lucio yelled into the fog. Hesitation kept you from acknowledging Lucio and joining him.

What was he doing? Everyone was trying to kill each other for survival and even though your group could use the extra bodies to be more intimidating, the trade-off was it would provoke the Careers to hunt down your group and annihilate everyone in there. Would Jesse spare you?

_No._

These tributes better be worth the risk! You walked forwards in the inky fog, your footsteps crunching loudly against the fine grain sand. The noise startled the two silhouettes, their bodies rigid with terror. Good, at least you’re still perceived as a predator. Lucio’s bright neon yellow glasses were a beacon next to the silhouette’s, his eyes were immediately on you.

“Why’d you run off like that?”

“Efi ran after you.” A crunch to your left made you look over to Efi, her smile bright and eager not at you but the two strangers.

The girl you asumed to be Brier was pretty. She had long blonde hair in lazy waves, eyes blue like a creek you visited as a child, and her body stature would make it easy to manuver through cracks if she ever needed to escape a threat. The boy named Bronze was an olive skin color, dark hair, dark eyes hidden behind spectacles, and he was carrying a dark backpack, a couple times bigger than the one currently slung on Efi’s back.

Efi noticed you were back and ducked under your tarp again, beaming a smile at the two other tributes.

“We were so worried about you!”

“Yeah we know.” Bronze responded, ducking under Lucio’s tarp. Brier followed, standing on Lucio’s left while Bronze was on his right. You deciphered quickly based off the tribute’s tones, body language, and from seeing their scores before entering this place, these tributes were of no threat to you or your group. As much as it’ll be difficult to get enough water for five people along with food, it’ll be much safe travelling in a bigger group.

Lucio was humming a cheerful tune as he pointed the amplifier again. It was the only noise and for a while, it made you zone out. You wondered how McCree was handling his group. Was he a leader? Did he know anything about the weather like you did? Did he add any stragglers to the Career Pack? Did McCree even get the weapon he wanted so bad he manipulated you with the help of Jack and your fragile emotional state?

“(Y/N)?” You were snapped back to the present, confused on where you were going. You didn’t see Lucio or the other two tributes. A hand was on your shoulder, the presence questioning and grounding you back to the here and now. Eyes traced the arm back to the owner, Efi’s face concerned. Air raced into your nose and exited in a burst of frustration. Now’s not the time for this! You can dwell once you guys had a safe hiding place.

“We found a cave and you just walked off.” Efi explained, grabbing your arm, and tugged you backwards. The sky got worse and there was a sounding of a large swoosh dow below. Screams echoed from the canyon. You ran to the edge of the rim (which was only a few feet to your right,) your boots barely grazed the edge as you stared down. The rain was a lot worse than you originally thought. The canyon was a giant bowl, rapidly rising as the rain got heavier, filling the canyon with murky brown water. Screams of tributes echoed through the air and all you could try to do was watch them fall to their demise.

* * *

Jesse watched in horror as the water level was rising fast. He didn’t know how to swim! This was the worst fear to conquer at this moment. Memories of being dunked under the water, a heavy hand holding his head underwater made him freeze in terror, freezing ice stilling his muscles. The water seemed to leap out from the ground. One moment the water was soaking his boots at ankle level and the next, it was up to his neck. A strangled yelp turned into a gargled sputter, the dirty water filling his lungs. Jesse coughed as he tried to ride out the water, doing flimsy doggy paddle. It didn’t work as his head kept bobbing under the water.

Every time his head ducked under the water, his mind flashed back to the hand holding him under the water. Jesse couldn’t keep his head up any longer, eventually he was struggling to reach the surface, his lungs burning for air, and he started swallowing on water as it savagely attacked his airways. Soon instead of murky brown filling his vision, his vision turned into a grainy picture, reflecting on where the fear of drowning started.

* * *

_He was watching over the cattle like his ma and pa ordered him to do. Jesse was sitting at the edge of a pond, skipping stones as he’d casually glance around to make sure the small herd of cattle didn’t stray. They were made of cows with their calf's, the little ones sticking close to their mother’s for protection. It was hot as hell and very humid, intensifying the heat. As Jesse skipped one more stone, the smooth object bouncing across the surface and causing ripples to fan outwards, something made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Oh no! He was here!_

_Before Jesse could do anything, a big muscular hand wrapped around his neck, fingernails cutting the delicate skin on his nape, shoved him downwards into the water of the pond. Jesse’s screams were lost into the disgusting water, the muck at the bottom of the lake stirred up and Jesse kept inhaling the water as he thrashed his body in an attempt to get his pa off him. His lungs burned for air, the agony intensified with every inhale of water, his throat was on fire, and his nose was in agony too as the debris agitated old wounds._

_His hands blindly reached behind to the hand holding him under, clawing and scratching for the larger man to let him go. It was futile as his father’s hands were calloused from handling multiple instruments over the years. Jesse didn’t dare open his eyes as he didn’t want to damage them. They were the only thing of value on him. He was losing._

_Jesse felt himself become weaker with every thrash, the pressure intensifying on his neck, and the world around him faded to black. The noise of water crashing above him turned to deafening silence, his lungs burned yet they seemed to accept water as their new life source, and Jesse felt as though he was sinking into an abyss. It was welcoming. It was his only solace in his entire existence. That was until his morbid serenity was interrupted with a deft slap to the face._

* * *

“McCree!” His eyes snapped open, body shaking violently as he coughed out all the water his lungs managed to capture. It kept coming out, rom his nose and mouth like a projectile. It stung his lungs and esophagus as he wretched the last of the murky water from his body. Jesse turned his head to his companion, Poseidon. The kid was at least fifteen, a couple years younger than him, his short dishwater blonde hair plastered to his neck and back as he swam towards the rim of the canyon, hand wrapped around Jesse’s waist. Jesse remembered being saved once like this but it was dry ground and his savior wasn’t here with him.

“Thanks.” Jesse grumbled out, embarrassed he had to be saved. Back in his group, he had help only once while the rest of the time he had to follow one rule: you helped yourself and only yourself. If you asked for help, you either were teased or scolded for not improving. Jesse always steeled himself to learn everything the first time so he could never ask for help. Poseidon paddled to the edge of the rim, the wall to freedom was only three feet above their heads. Maybe he should be nice and offer climbing assistance? It seemed as though Poseidon knew what Jesse was going to ask as he swiftly answered, “I used to climb cliffs all the time to go fish. This seems easy compared what I deal with.”

Jesse rolled his eyes and grabbed for a handhold, hoisting himself out of the water. He wondered what happened to you, grabbing a glimpse of you as you went to protect that small kid from District Eleven. Anger pounded in his ears as he tried to bat the image of the man from District Eleven had wrapped an arm protectively around you when the three of you rushed out of sight

A growl flew from his throat as Jesse heaved himself up over the edge of the canyon, his clothes feeling like a boulder was trying to sink him back into the flooded canyon. On his forearms, the soaked tribute army crawled as far as he could manage before the exhaustion from his predicament and the memory associated forced Jesse to collapse on the ground. The rain beat against his body with as much force that reminded him too much about the fists he used to deal with as a child. Those angry beatings should’ve been warm and protective but it was obvious it wasn’t the case with him. Jesse’s mind was weak and he willed himself to focus on anything besides his old memories. He closed his eyes and remembered the night you had come to his room. You had apologized for your rude behavior and no one in his life ever apologized but how you had confessed of your wrong doing made Jesse feel better. As Jesse thought more on that night, he felt an odd sensation bloom in his chest. 

* * *

You figured certain districts wouldn’t know how to swim including a majority of the Careers. The rain acted as a thick curtain like the fog, making it hard to see who was drowning, and who was surviving.

BOOM!

The second kill of the day.

“Help! Someone! Anybody!” A voice called out from below. Your moral compass was compromised. You were trained to kill people from a young age but Efi and Lucio would probably want to go rescue those who didn’t know how to swim. It was a conflict you didn’t know how to resolve easily.

BOOM! Third kill of the day and the last voice disappeared as another cannon shot rang through the air.

BOOM!

Today wasn’t as climatic as you thought it would be but it was a good thing. It meant you guys were safe and sound. At least for now.

“Can we leave?” Efi asked, her expression was set in a grimace at what you both listened to. All you could offer was a nod, turning around and walking away from the rim of the canyon. None of the voices you heard belonged to any of the Careers, and it was meant for those who were dumb enough to stake out the Cornucopia. After one year of games where someone did camp inside the Cornucopia and nearly killed everyone with their advantage, the Gamemakers made a rule not to camp inside the Cornucopia and there were dire consequences for those who decided to break the rule.

You gave a sharp nod and gestured for Efi to show you the way back to Lucio and the other tributes. Quietly, Efi showed you to a cave that was easily camouflaged by two out cropping rock formations. It was definitely a good place to hide short term. Not so much long term because if the Careers hunted your group down, there was no other exit except for the entrance. It was a dead end and a death trap. At least it will get you out of the rain. Inside, it was dark, only cracks of the dark skies somewhat illuminated the tunnel. You could barely make out Efi’s tiny form as she slipped between the cracks with ease. This place was claustrophobic; it forced you to move sideways, the tunnel squeezing you to the point you were edged in between the moist rock, the smell of earth both comforting and a bit ominous until you sucked in your gut and got past the scary part. The room was massive, a low fire lit as Lucio, Brier, and Bronze all sat in a circle around it. You let the tarp from your shoulders and draped the plastic material over a rock so it can dry off properly.

Nobody acknowledged your presence as the fire’s warmth engulfed you in an inviting way. You basked in it, letting it soothe your body and your soul. The crackling of the fire was nice as it lulled you into a light doze.

“Hey, (Y/N)? Have you seen the water jug?” You cracked an eye open at the culprit who disturbed your light sleep. IT was Lucio, his smile kind and toned down from his enthusiasm. You made your memory back track to when he had received the care package. He had unscrewed the cap to his jug and placed it in front of the both of you then he whipped out his amplifier before heading out…

You slapped your hand against your forehead as you realized that you guys had left the most important item out in the rain!

“Oh shit! We left the jug back at the site!” You leapt to your feet to go and attempt to find the jug your team had lost but Lucio was already out of the tunnel with his amplifier and glasses, voice echoing back, “I’ll go get it!” There was no point in arguing since Lucio had the only instrument necessary to find your life source. Hopefully he won’t run into any problems while retrieving the jug. You reclined against a protruding rock, the fire’s heat skimming your skin and your mind drifted back to Jesse. The heat reminded you of the events in the shower yesterday, being basked in warm water as Jesse-

“What are you smiling about?” Bronze’s voice asked, more gruff than necessary. You narrowed your eye at the other, not appreciating the tone of voice. Brier backhanded Bronze’s chest, her voice a snip in the empty space, “It’s the least of our problems. We need a plan for tomorrow.”

“I suggest we make defenses.” Efi piped in, taking a medium sized rock and going over to the cave wall behind Brier and Bronze. She scratched on the surface, leaving white marks against the dark rough surface. The lines eventually drew out a trap reminiscent to a bear trap that the trapper’s would use to deter wolves or to hunt them for their skins. Another set of specs were drawn out for capturing small critters, a water harvester, and unfortunately, a clever way to electrocute tributes if the canyon flooded again and if more tributes would be dipping their hands in to either clean themselves or to drink.

Very smart but it’s going to be useless unless they find the proper supplies. With the Cornucopia flooded, you guys would need to either trade or fight the other contestants for the materials you needed to create the traps. Lucio came back a while later, the jug full to the brim with water. You could hold out one more day without water but when the weather clears and the abominable heat returns, you guys had to limit water rations until you have a water harvester that can supply enough water for the five of you.

“Can I see how you’re doing?” You raised an eyebrow at how Lucio phrased that question. Catching his mistake, Lucio rephrased his question.

“Can I see your injury?”

Oh, right. You laid onto your gut, closing your eyes as those fingers glided to your injury. You didn’t feel any pain today, the medicine in the gauze probably doing its job.

“Looks pretty good. Sleep for now, we’ll talk later.” That was an order you can cooperate with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what? I made a Ko-Fi! [Buy Me a Coffee](https://ko-fi.com/A187440Y) and support my horrible sweet tooth! I'll see you guys next Wednesday!


	12. Day 3: Realization

Hana and Alexander are going to go scavenge for potential food while the tributes from District Four, Ariel and Poseidon, wandered a couple feet away from the campsite to collect water from the sand. As much as he wanted to help them, Jesse was currently focused on something else entirely. The near-death experience in the canyon had shaken him, and he wanted to confide in someone about his experience.

Unfortunately, the person he had in mind was you.

Sure, he had been a jerk to you, but it was because he was still bitter and mad about the situation he landed in. Jesse clenched his hands in the sand, feeling the sun throw spears of heated fury onto his lax body. The heat was familiar, one he had grown accustomed to since he left home. You had known the truth based on his looks alone and Jesse was surprised someone like you could determine he wasn’t who he said he was. He closed his eyes, letting his memories float away to whatever his troubled mind will want to play.

* * *

_“Let me go!” It had been the first time he had disobeyed his superior, the first time he was in public view, and the first time he was in the wealthy district. Two Peacekeepers were dragging him through the streets, the cool night air not helping his panicking body. Jesse felt the rubber gloves pull out his skin painfully, blood threatening to spill. He shouldn’t have jumped the fence. It was guarded and should’ve seen the Peacekeeper standing next to the post. Gabriel had warned him to stay away from the fence or else the consequences would be severe. He didn’t believe the older man, as Jesse would usually be given a lecture and not be physically harmed by one of the renegades._

_He should’ve known Gabe was referring to someone else._

_“Let him go!” An angry boom of a voice sounded from behind his back. Jesse looked under his arm to see Gabe get restrained by four Peacekeepers, his significant other, Jack, also being held back by the Peacekeepers. Jesse thrashed and threw his body again to dislodge the fuckers, only to be smacked on the back of the head with an automatic rifle. Searing agony knocked Jesse out temporarily, his vision black. The next time he came back to reality, his wrists were bound above his head to pole, his shirt missing, and he was on his knees._

_“Sorry, I don’t swing that way.” Jesse tried to joke, to relieve the edge of anxiety. His reward was something metallic and barbed cracked against his back. Jesse screamed in pain, his boy instantly trying to jump away from the pain only for the tortuous object to rain down on him several more times. Each strike was a bite as sharp as the razor his family used to skin the cattle, the pain more intense with every little significant drop in temperature around him._

_“Agh!” Jesse yelled out, thrashing more to try and escape. His yells were futile as the whip now became a rhythm. Whoosh, snap, crack!_

_“Get your hands off him!” Was that Jack? Or was it Gabe? Jesse couldn’t decipher who was who anymore, his mind a lethargic mess now. How many lashes have ravaged his back? There was no way he could tell, it felt as though he’s been tied here forever and the punishment was intense enough to jar him away from the beautiful oblivion. It would’ve help blocked out the pain._

_The rhythm of the whips was interrupted by a series of screams. Bliss followed the evening air as the tortuous punishment stopped. Jesse sagged against his bonds, his energy depleted from struggling so much. The sounds of bones breaking and the smell of blood were the only things keeping him awake._

_‘Is that my blood?’ The smell was overwhelming, Jesse’s stomach rolled with nausea at how powerful it was._

_“That’s enough! No harm to her. She’s from the (L/N) family. Besides I think we delivered our message very clearly tonight.” The voice was sickly sweet and Jesse gagged on the tone of voice as the sounds of boots clomped away, some limping, others grumbling about a “stupid bitch”._

_There wasn’t any more strength left in Jesse, all his body weight being held up by the tethers around his wrist attached to the pole. A new pair of footsteps, light as a cloud, registered in his ears and what felt like the most delicate hands were hastily trying to undo the knots._

_“Jesse?” Muscular hands helped Jesse sit up a bit straighter, holding him up as the world went fuzzy. Those must be Gabe’s. The biting rope eased up on his wrists, the feeling making Jesse wince from the subtle pain, “Gabe?”_

_“I got you. Jack went to go grab medical supplies.” If Gabe was here and Jack wasn’t, then who was fighting the goons off? His word twisted into a dark kaleidoscope, Jesse feeling himself fall to the side. Gabe’s hand grabbed Jesse’s back, the contact sent hot blazing torture throughout his body, Jesse letting out a raw yell._

_A new set of hands, caught Jesse but their placement was on Jesse’s right hip and left shoulder, easing him gently to the cool cobblestone. Jesse gulped hard to regain his voice, to soothe the pain in his throat from the constant shrieks of pain from his punishment._

_“Hang in there!” Jesse looked up, his eyes weakly trying to memorize his savior as his mind threatened to throw him into the dark abyss. Her skin glowed like an angel’s, hair looking soft and smooth, while their eyes were the most mesmerizing color he’s ever seen before. Jesse stared into those eyes as long as he could before his eyes slowly closed, body too tired and weary to stay awake anymore._

* * *

It was Jesse. You woke up again, eyes snapping open with realization. Jesse McCree was the Whipped Boy from roughly a year ago. How could you forget? You mentally berated yourself, mentally kicking yourself over and over again. Why didn’t you see it before? Ugh, no wonder he was cold towards you. You sat up, surveying your surroundings and realized everyone was gone. You rubbed your eyes, thinking the hallucination would erase to show your group either eating or creating traps to protect your temporary sanctuary.

No one was with you.

You clambered to your feet, muscles tight from the tense events. You never could be too careful in this area. As much as you wanted to call out for your teammates, you didn’t know what had transpired earlier today.

‘They most likely went out to scavenge for water or spare part.’ You tried to reassure yourself, walking towards the entrance to the cave. Everything in the cave was valuable sure but you couldn’t bring yourself to care. Stepping outside of the cave, the hot air made your chest fill with dread. The group probably took the water jug with them.

BOOM!

A cannon shot. Your eyes scanned around wildly. Who died? You dashed to the side of the cliff and scanned the area for any danger and who had fallen. The heat dried out your eyes, they stun and burned with every blink as you stared out into the horizon.

There was nobody there.

Suddenly, a sharp object stabbed right under your right shoulder blade and you whipped around. Bad move! You swung out, catching someone in the jaw with your hand and you caught a glimmer of light, as dodge rolled off to the left to avoid being speared into the ground. Once back on your feet, you identified your attackers. It was Hana and Alex again! Alex had a spear clutched in his meaty hands, pointed at you with malice while Hana was rubbing her jaw, a dagger held in her hands. Alex made the first move. He rushed towards you, spear still pointed at you, you sidestepped him and grabbed the spear, smacked him in the face.

“Ouch! You stupid bitch!” Alex yelled in pain as he skidded towards the edge of the cliff. Hana slashed at you with her dagger but you blocked it easily with the spear. A sweep kick to the shin and Hana easily went down. You poised the appear above your head to kill this pest when someone bigger tackled you from behind, rolling you back onto your back.

“AH!” Warmth dripped down onto your gut, your hands feeling a warm liquid skitter against your skin, and your eyes located the origins of the blood. You had managed to stab Alex in the gut. It wasn’t enough to kill him as he yanked himself off the spear and backpedaled away. You rolled back onto your feet, taking the spear with you as Hana tried her luck at trying to kill you. She slashed first, her dagger bouncing off the metallic spear with a clang!

You jumped back and Hana tried another slash as you parried off her again. You kept your eye on Alex as he staunched the blood wound on his abdomen. He wasn’t dead and still hanging around, seething in silence as you kept fighting with Hana. Where was your group?!

You know what? Fuck it!

“I’m getting tired of this!” You yelled and thrust your spear as hard as you could into Hana’s chest.

“No!” Your first kill. Hana stared at the object lodged in her chest, hands shaking in shock as red bloomed where the spear resided. She stumbled backwards and eventually fell to the ground, her skin a deathly pale color.

BOOM!

The sound of cannon fire reassured you your target was now deceased. Adrenaline pulsed along your brain, as it brought a sense of satisfaction. It looks as though your years in training was paying off. No time to relish since you still had-

You snapped your attention to Alex and found he had disappeared. Great either a) Alex was hiding somewhere nearby and he was going to attack you when you had your guard down, or b) he fled and will bring reinforcements from the Career Pack. It wouldn’t do much good if you stood around debating your options. First, you needed to be armed and ready.

The helicarrier started to descend from above, ready to collect Hana’s body. You yanked the spear from her chest cavity, Hana’s brown eyes now glassy. Should you apologize to a corpse? No, it’d make you insane. You dashed away from the body, letting the helicarrier do its job.

Second, you need to locate your team and explain what happened to you. They couldn’t have gone too far. The adrenaline ebbed away with every step you took, the heat increased by a few degrees making it an absolute hell to walk. It could’ve minutes, it could’ve been hours, time seemed endless as you walked across the bluffs, your feet walking aimlessly around. Hypervigilance was your friend. You kept your eyes peeled and your ears active for any signs of your friends.

It paid off. The sound of sobs emanated in the distance, or was it a mirage? No, you weren’t that dehydrated. Cautiously, you continued forwards, scanning the area for anymore tributes or whatever the Gamemakers wanted to throw at you guys. You felt your shirt glue itself over your injury. Every movement made the garment slowly and painfully peel off the scab.

“Shit!” You hissed aloud; it turned out to be the best thing to do. You saw a shadow peek out from a boulder and it stared at you for a minute before skating out.

“(Y/N)!” You turned, spear ready for combat, the sharp head poking the nose of the idiot who dared to call out your name. At least, it was someone you knew and appreciated. Lucio had his hands up in surrender, eyes crossed down at the spear you held, and tried not to flare out his nostrils. You suppressed a giggle, pulling back the bloodstained spear, flipping it so the spear head sunk into the sand.

“Sorry, was caught in an ambush.” Your tone conveyed how serious the situation was, and you turned around to show the injury you sustained and added, “Alex and Hana were the perpetrators. I killed Hana and Alex fled. Have no idea where he went to.” When you went to turn around, Lucio’s voice rasped, “Don’t move.” Too much exposure to the heat is dehydrating you both by the second. Clinical hands tended to your injury, surveying the damage.

“Lets go back to the cave, I can tend to you there.”

Something’s wrong.

“Lucio?”

“Brier was killed by Alex.”

Oh. That’s what made him upset. You nodded in confirmation, walking away from Lucio, back to the cave. Lucio fell in step with you, the both of you silent. This isn’t going to be great.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short chapter and I am going to assume the rest of the chapters will be short because of my medical schedule. I promise we're getting to the good parts >:) Mwhahaha!


	13. Day 3: Company

“God damn bitch!” Alex roared, startling Jesse from his sleep. He growled out of frustration as he watched the behemoth barrel from around the corner, nearly stopping onto the water collector Ariel and Poseidon (who angrily threw the disturber of the peace a dirty glare). Alex stomped to Jesse, the man in turn jumping to his feet, his right hand immediately going for the hunting knife strapped to his thigh. He still didn’t receive any high-powered weapon like Jack promised if he kept up the illusion he was desperately in love with his tribute partner.

Alex poked an accusing finger into Jesse’s sternum, hissing, “You’re fucking bitch fucking killed Hana and I while we searched for food!” A little flare of pride swelled in Jesse’s chest as he could only imagine how you dispatched Hana yet it quickly changed back to rage at both you and Alex. Jesse did like Hana. She was nice and energetic, making him smile even when others couldn’t. There was no time to mourn. Survival was the main objective and Alex was belligerent, which meant his survival might be compromised.

“Back off!” Jesse slid the hunting knife from his thigh, poised with his feet shoulders-width part, crouched, and his left arm acted as both a barrier to block and to parry Alex’s fist. The outcast’s eyes dropped to Alex’s busted armor made of heavy plastic, the gold now stained by the color of blood. The injury was in his gut, the soft underbelly was a terrific way to injure without killing. You must’ve missed your mark as Jesse has seen you when you truly fight. You fight to kill not to spare. It made Jesse wonder if you had purposely spared Alex.

“Knock it off!” Alex turned to acknowledge Poseidon, the District Four tribute. His dirty blonde hair was plastered to his head, bright blue eyes tired and stern, the eyes of a sailor lost at sea and has given up hope to make it back to shore. He was dressed in a blue suit to represent the sea. It was a muted grey blue, the red color of the land didn’t help the District Four tributes blend in.

The girl sitting next to Poseidon, Ariel, had bright red hair and green eyes, dressed in the same suit as her partner. She was crouched on the ground, ready to spring onto her feet to defend Poseidon. Alex’s breath was labored with his anger and frustration at losing Hana especially to the woman who has evaded death and injury at his hands.

“It won’t serve us any good if we’re fighting. We need to focus on collecting water, food, and securing our hideout. Otherwise, we’ll all perish.” Poseidon muttered out, his voice sounding like boulders crashing together. Jesse hadn’t faltered from his stance, learning from his experience out in the wild about letting his guard down. Alex puffed out his chest as though prepared to yell out his rage and pummel someone into the ground; instead, the gladiator deflated, walking over to the hideout. It was a shallow cave, only seven feet deep, the tributes had to sleep with their knees against their chests to make room for each other and room for supplies. They had managed to get a bit of first-aid and snares for game.

Problem is: there didn’t seem to be much use for snares since they haven’t come across wildlife in the arena. All they could see is desert for miles along with mountain terrain. Difficult to find game with this kind of scenery. Jesse lowered his guard, tucking the knife back into its case, as Alex retreated into the cave.

“Why isn’t your friend with us?”

Jesse rolled his eyes at Ariel’s question, settling his back against the outcropped rock he had settled at earlier today. He didn’t bother to answer. It wasn’t her business and frankly, he didn’t want to remember your reasoning. Your eyes were filled with annoyance and anger. He diverted his attention elsewhere, his eyes scanning the horizon for danger.

Hiss!

Rattle-rattle!

The noise was coming from around the corner along with the noise of something dragging along the grit of sand on the ground. Jesse slowly rose to his feet, better to be on his feet than sitting. He knew that noise, his travels have taught him the kind of animal this is except it’s not as minimized as this sound. The cause of this noise seemed much bigger where the noise bounced off the rock formation’s wall his team was currently hiding behind.

Ariel and Poseidon followed Jesse’s lead, slowly standing and moving backwards except Jesse hissed, “Don’t move a single muscle.” These creatures could only see based on movement especially sudden movement. He only had to worry about the creature striking out of defense. These were natural predators hunting. After several pauses from both Ariel and Poseidon, the hunter showed they weren’t alone.

A head slithered from around a corner, the eyes a glassy yellow with eclipses of unblinking torment, the head as big as the table Jesse sat at with you, the patterns were diamond shaped and a sinister grey, a forked tongue scenting for potential prey. The rattle started up again, rapid, as though alerting to its findings. An identical head slithered out, not stopping as it came close to Jesse, rising to its full height above the experienced tribute. It stood as tall as a tree, its shadow looming over his body. Another rattler went off, rattling faster and more vibrant than its companions, the scale color nearly gold in the sunlight.

Jesse didn’t dare take his eyes off the predators, knowing it’d cause an instant death. The smaller versions he encountered, would kill with a single bite, the venom potent. These predators on the other hand, looked as though they could swallow him in one gulp without even trying!

The grey Rattler slithered its way past Ariel and Poseidon, moving around the duo and slithered its way to its companion. The two tributes followed instructions as they remained still but barely as their courage began to fall rapidly as the Rattler coiled itself around, cutting off any chances of escape. The golden Rattler, remained where it was, posed above Jesse, it’s purple tongue darting out to sense its prey. Jesse cursed silently.

This was going to be the last thing he sees before he dies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay you guys. I have been diagnosed with a disease and I have no way to pay for treatment. I'm open to commissions and if you're interested, the information for my commissions are on my tumblr under my new name: plain-sunflower-seed. Also, I'm trying to setup a new writing schedule so I'll update you guys when I've established a regular schedule again. But yeah! We're getting to the fun parts! >:)


	14. Day 3 End: The Pack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look! I finally got the chance to post another chapter! Resumes, cover letters, and emails are the only writing I've been doing more recently. Don't you fret now, I'm almost done with the series and I will post the remaining chapters after I graduate in the spring! And also, bad ending or good ending for this fic? So many choices to choose...and give me your opinion in the comments!

Bing. Bing. Bing.

The Rattler’s went silent, their heads craned upwards to the source of the noise. Floating from the sky was a silver box quickly descending with a small white parachute attached. Both fear and relief were at war within Jesse’s chest. The relief of Jack delivering on his promise but fear to move because of the two Rattler’s tightly coiled around him and his team.

The grey snake uncoiled itself from Poseidon and Ariel, slithering towards the object at a lazy pace. Jesse gritted his teeth, as anger raged through him.

‘Damn it! If I move, that thing will strike. If I don’t move, I’ll eventually run into problems with keeping still.’ As his thoughts whirred, a couple of silhouettes appeared at the top of the cliff. One of them was holding a spear, ready to throw it.

“Oh shit…” Poseidon breathed, his body becoming tense, ready to move out of the way. Whoever this tribute is, they picked the wrong weapon for the wrong situation. At least the benefits outweigh the greatest con: moving and potentially getting killed.

The mysterious tributes poised themselves on the ledge, one silhouette carrying a spear as though it didn't weigh anything while the other silhouette stood on the other side holding an unidentified object. The Rattler’s slowly moved towards the noise, uncoiling themselves from around their potential prey. The Golden Rattler felt its partner, the Grey Rattler slide up beside it. The Golden Rattler flashed its fangs as a warning to keep back. The grey one would not get the glory of an exotic kill.

“Are you sure about this, Em?” Archer asked, his metallic bow at the ready. These snakes were mutated in size and by how they moved around their prey, they recognized it not only by heat but by sight. Archer’s partner, Em, a girl with half a shaved head, eyes as sharp as a tack, and built out of solid muscle. Many people would mistake her for the butch stereotype.

Archer, was a young fourteen-year-old boy with red hair and freckles dotted his face. Considered the weakest link because of his lack of nutrients and a weak will, Archer was being helped by his district partner, a lovely sixteen-year-old who had training from her mother, a tribute of District Six.

He didn’t know when it was going to be down to the two of them; hopefully soon. The rations were gone along with the water they had secured form the Cornucopia. The snakes arched themselves upwards to reach the parachute, their tongues flicking the air in wonder.

“Archie, hit the grey one in the eye, the gold one is mine.” Em’s voice was filled with smug determination. As she prepared to throw one of her spears into the snake, Archie wrapped a hand around his partner’s wrist, stopping her mid-throw.

“Why are we doing this?”

“If I take down the golden snake, it’ll last us a long time when it comes to rations.” Em rolled her eyes as she brought up her spear except Archer put his grubby hands on the spear again.

“But wouldn’t that give the Career’s a chance to slaughter us?”

“That’s why you’re going to shoot the grey snake and make it attack them.” This time Em pushed Archer away, readjusting her trajectory plan. The Golden Rattler had leveled its head high enough where it was level with the ledge both the rogue tributes were poised.

Jesse held his breath, his nerves itching to move. A dared glance to his left showed Grey Rattler, poising back as the Golden Rattler raised itself higher where it was nearly using its massive rattler to balance itself. A prickling sensation agonizingly made its way from the back of his spine to his right eye. It’s known as a gut instinct or the sixth sense he heard from a supposed psychic. It manifested itself behind his eye and this feeling came as a painful sweeping motion than a painful instant like a punch. A terrible event was going to unfold, and it was going to benefit him in the end. Jesse could only assume it had to do with the weapon.

The Golden Rattler flicked its tongue out to taste the little object floating from the sky. Metallic, like the box he was raised in with the grey one. He pulsed himself backwards, not interested in eating this object. It was cold and lifeless. But not the prey below.

“Three…” Em breathed as the Golden Rattler started moving his body downwards, “two…one!” Using all her strength, Em threw her metallic spear as it sailed like an angry bolt of lightning, a gleam of silver was the only warning the Golden Rattler received before it plunged straight into its eye.

The large reptilian didn’t hiss like the smaller versions Jesse had encountered in his lifetime. Instead, it let out a mix between a screech and a warble. The noise was terrible, it made Jesse’s lungs vibrate so fast, he let out a pained grunt as his vision blurred and he felt himself falling. A knee connected to the ground, the rattles which were once silenced were now loud and rapid.

He fell, and it was his death sentence. He looked up to see which one was going to kill him, his face inches away from a pale lavender tongue. The grey scales were now more of a glittering silver up close and the eyes staring at him were cat eyes the color of the stone resting in his pant pocket. A low hiss emanated from the creature as it reared itself backwards, readying itself for its meal. It ignored its dominant partner, wounded, and now furious.

The Golden Rattler snapped its jaws in the direction from where the spear came from. Its eye was now damaged, red blood oozing from the injury. Yet it could taste something and hear it too. It was like the humans they were going to devour except there were only two elevated holding a metallic sound. The Grey Rattler let out one last snarl and Jesse held his breath. This isn’t going to be the end. Not yet.

A whizzing noise shot through the air and an arrow bounced off the Grey Rattler harmlessly. The prey can wait. The offended snake whipped around to see two humans on the cliff, throwing metallic objects and that’s when the Grey Rattler noticed its partner. They were being attacked by armed prey. More thrilling of a hunt. Abandoning the unarmed tribute, the Grey Rattler darted towards the cliff, excited by the prospect of a feast.

This was the only window of opportunity Jesse had. He darted from his weakened spot and rushed for the parachute. It had landed harmlessly a few feet away from the Golden Rattler, the large body rushing as quickly as it could to the offenders. Its massive body slammed against Jesse’s side, making the young man slam into the canyon.

“Agh!” A couple of cracks made Jesse wheeze for air, every inhale of breath made his lungs burn, a sharp pain flash rapidly. He can’t focus on the injury, he needs to focus on the package! Alex had watched the entire snake ordeal, and realized it was time to leave. He grabbed the weapons he had procured, the rations, and the water canteen with no water. The District One tribute skittered out of the cave, scratching his cheek and arms in a rush to move.

Alex’s attention immediately snapped to Ariel and Poseidon, the two tributes were running out of the way as both snakes were trying to coil and snap themselves up towards the other side of the canyon. His eyes found out why the Rattlers were acting out in violence in that position: two tributes, all alone and trying to kill the snakes with a bow and what looked like knives. Pathetic.

“You two!” He yelled, catching the attention of the two tributes. Both scanned Alex and they knew they needed to flee. Poseidon rushed over and alleviated Alex of the rations and canteen. Ariel looked to find McCree stumbling for the package. His gloved hands scooped up the briefcase, fingers fast and nimble as he undid the clasps.

“Leave him!” Alex barked at his teammates, grabbing Ariel by her arm and dragged her away. She thrashed in Alex’s grip, clawing his arm.

“But he’s-”

“Crazy for staying behind and grabbing his sponsor’s gift with those things trying to kill us all!” Poseidon explained as he led the way, disappearing around the corner.

Above the ledge, the two tributes from District Six were trying their best to take down the two massive mutations of snakes. The Grey Rattler was proven to be the hardest as it wasn’t injured like Em was planning on with Archer. She was battling the Grey Rattler since Archer couldn’t hit the ground to save his life. The said tribute was fighting the Golden Rattler with his bow and arrows. He snapped an arrow at the snake as its chin rested on the ledge. All it could do was try to inch forwards as its body dangled from the ledge. The Grey Rattler was still on the ground and kept snapping its body and jaws towards Em.

“I’ve seen scarier puppy dogs!” Em shouted as she flung a throwing knife at the snake just as it was rising up for a kill, the snake swallowed the knife as though it was nothing.

“Any ideas?” Archer quipped with panic as he backed up and shot an arrow at the Golden Rattler, the arrow lodging itself in the center of the snake’s snout. The Golden Rattler, stunned at the slight pain, fell off the ledge and collapsed in a pile of coils at the bottom. It needed to collect itself and see if its partner can get rid of the pests. For now, it needed to stay back until the prey has either weakened or did something foolish.

Em grabbed one of her knives from her hips, long blades that aren’t considered knives yet too short to be considered a sword. She steps back, ready for the Grey Rattler to try again. She didn’t have to wait long. The snake struck upwards, its chin barely grazed the ledge and that’s when Em struck. She leapt for the chin, her weapons held high above her head and she let out a war cry. She let her arms come down, the knives sinking into the softer area of the snake. Her speed, momentum, and gravity worked in Em’s favor.

The blonde girl used the knives in the snake as a makeshift force of transportation. As she tore down the snake, blood spurted out of the tracks she left, and after she passed a quarter of the way down the underbelly of the Grey Rattler, a track was bleeding with a pulse. The beast shrieked again, constricting Jesse’s lungs and Archer’s lungs, the burning sensation returned until the Grey Rattler finally backwards, belly to the sun as it thrashed a couple more times before the rattle and the screech turned to silence. Em mounted the snake as though she had conquered the mountain.

“That wasn’t so hard.” Em laughed to the sky, her raven hair thrown to the side. She grabbed her knives and yanked them out of the Grey Rattler. A rattle was the only warning she got before the Golden Rattler lurched for her. She swung her knife to parry the large fangs. It connected with the right fang and chipped its tooth only for the left fang to sink into her left shoulder.

An inhuman scream rushed out of Em’s lungs of the pain. It was unholy, unthinkable about how painful it was and the pulse of something cool being injected into her bloodstream was unfathomable. She tried to breathe, but every time she tried to inhale, it felt as though her lungs walls squeezed together like glue and refused to budge. The Golden Rattler withdrew its fang and coiled back into its striking position, watching its prey turn blue in the face.

BOOM!

“Em!”

The Golden Rattler snapped up the lifeless girl before she even fell and swallowed her whole. That wasn’t so hard for the snake to do. It threw its had back and a bulge traveled from its mouth to its neck. The digestion process was a lot faster than ordinary snakes. After all, it was genetically coded in a lab. While its friend was being gutted, the Golden Rattler had taken inventory on how much prey was still left. When it checked, there was only the prey on the ledge and the prey near the object that came out of the sky.

Jesse had time to understand the ammunition his sponsors had provided. There were standard bullets that came in a fifty pack, explosive and hollow point bullets in a twenty-five bullet count package. The weapon was a revolver, one he was familiar with when he was on the lam. The snake obviously was vulnerable with the underbelly like both tributes have witnessed and in the case of the Golden Rattler going to strike, he needed to use the explosive rounds.

He opened the chamber and loaded in the explosive ammunition, slammed the chamber shut, and aimed at the snake just as it struck at him. There was not much of a difference with this snake or the smaller versions Jesse has encountered over his travels especially a guaranteed way to kill the rattlesnake. Muscle reflex pointed the gain at an upward angle into the opened maw of the beast and he shot only once.

BOOM!

Archer ran to the edge of the cliff to see if the Career tribute had been eaten. It was a morbid curiosity, but he needed to see it to believe it. The Golden Rattler fell to the ground, lifeless, a hole straight through its skull. Jesse stood there, covered in blood but otherwise, he wasn’t injured.

“Whoa.” Archer watched as Jesse emptied his revolver, the red bullets being exchange for silver ones. Maybe he should leave before-

A shot rang out through the canyon, the walls echoing the ultimate demise of Archer, the last tribute for District Six.

BOOM!

The cannon went off again, to signal yet another victim of the games. Jesse shouldn’t have enjoyed killing a person, yet it brought a form of nostalgia with the desert heat, the Rattler’s, and even the weapon he was holding in his hand. He got back on his knees to grab the holster his sponsors oh so kindly provided and clipped it to his belt.

“Damn it, (Y/N) was right: don’t trust the Career Pack.” The Career Pack had abandoned him, and Jesse was on his own again. The tribute decided to go back to the cave and see if any of the tributes had left anything behind which could help Jesse in the meantime. The cave wasn’t deep and not a lot of places to hide. The noise of the airship hummed above the canyon, the whirs of the claws as it retrieved the dead tribute that Jesse had finished off.

To Jesse’s luck, a knife and two small containers were left behind. An evil concoction of a plan formed in Jesse’s head. This will show the other three tributes for abandoning him.


	15. Day 4: Revenge

Music played through your mind, a quiet piano softly singing in tune with a violin as they tried to mimic a calm rain shower. The unnerving sense of paranoia that overtook your soul was not because of the Careers but it was the silence of Dexter. The tribute had been with Brier since they were children, childhood friends who were both drafted to enter the Games. At least, that’s what Efi told you. In the early morning before the crack of dawn, you can hear Efi and Dexter working on an innovation together. The gears and metallic objects sounded with a _chink_ out of synch with your music. It was unnerving.

Not too long after your encounter with Alex and Hana, you were informed about the news happening to Brier. When you all had separated, everyone went to grab their sponsor packages while you went to scout out for any potential threats. Brier and Dexter had received a shipment of metal, wires, tools, batteries, and other items used to make contraptions from scratch. Shortly after you had all split up, Hana and Alex ambushed them. According to Lucio’s testimony, Dexter manage to take a metal rod and luckily hit Alex alongside the head, but Brier wasn’t so lucky.

Hana charged Brier and stabbed the unlucky tribute in a blitz attack. Lucio had skated over to his ally and used his sonar to “boop” Hana over the rock outcropping. He was about to do the same to Alex, but they retreated. And that’s where your story began when telling Lucio about what those two specific tributes did to you. You didn’t hear the cannon go off before encountering the two Career’s but then again, you were absorbed in your thoughts.

“Can’t sleep?” You were snapped out of your thoughts when Lucio scooted into your vision. At least he’s an ally and not an enemy. You need to work on your perception skills. With a sigh, you shook your head.

“Efi and Dexter are keeping me up.”

“Sorry.” Efi peeped, as you heard tools (presumably) being set down. There was no acknowledgement from Dexter. Lucio mimicked the frown on your face for a second before he smiled. He looked over his shoulder to the other two companions and gave a thumbs-up, “It’s okay, nobody can sleep right now. We won’t stop you.” Efi beamed a smile and eagerly attended to the trap again. You noticed how she lights up when Lucio was around. A simple thought came to your head and maybe, it wouldn’t be so bad to talk about it.

“Lucio?”

“Yeah?”

Hesitation was at the fore front of your brain. Would it be stupid to ask Lucio what he did before the Hunger Games? What if all three of them don’t want to talk about it? What would you do?

Lucio noticed how your eyebrows furrowed, your eyes seemed to glaze over, and you were staring at the space between you two. He recognized that emotion since he had dealt with it over the years he had been in his district. Sure, he didn’t have a medical license or practice within his district, yet he was always the person to go to concerning medical problems. It wasn’t always physical problems and those were the hardest for some people to deal with. Lucio recognized depression and anxiety by facial features and many people would want company especially around someone who understood their problems.

Just as you were about to drop the conversation and leave an awkward silence, Lucio flashed a smile that made you feel a bit more confident, even safer to express your thoughts. Calmly, the music in your head switched to a soft flute, it only played when you were around Rose. You knew why this instrument was picked for Rose: she was your friend, someone you could trust, and was one to support you, no matter what was happening.

“Do you ever think about home, Lucio?” Damn, that’s not how you wanted to phrase the question. Lucio smile grew in intensity, “Yeah all the time!” He stopped for a moment before his mind made the connection: you wanted to know more about his background and what his district was like.

“I mean compared to your district, we don’t have a lot going for us. We are the agriculture district.” Just as you were about to apologize for bringing up the upper and lower-class differences when Lucio laughed, “I remember a time when I was a kid, I was harvesting fruit in the trees and saw a tracker jacker nest.”

You heard about those insects, a nasty insect that stung and if too many swarmed a person, they would die from both the pain and venom. Lucio made a motion with his hand as he patted his hip, “We had to carry around these leaves since they healed those stings. I thought they were my only alternatives to heal but that was until one day, I remember vividly that there was this girl named Orchid. A girl who used to harvest fruit from the trees with me and she somehow knocked a whole nest of tracker jacker’s onto some of the kids putting fruit into a cart.” Lucio’s smile softened into a sorrowful frown before he continued, “Well as you can imagine, a lot of kids got hurt. Poor Orchid got dragged away when the Peacekeepers found out who was responsible for disabling a part of the workforce. I never did find out what happened to her until a few years later.

Next thing I know, I found myself in the infirmary with the other kids who were screaming about how much pain they were in. I had plenty of leaves left and distributed them amongst the others while the doctors were out trying to harvest more leaves. There wasn’t a lot I could do for the kids. Next thing I know, I was singing and creating music. No one was crying, my music was the only thing we could hear.”

Lucio sat up and looked over his sonic equipment, happy to be in possession of an item to convey his music through. It was second nature to use it, since it was like wearing the night goggles to harvest the crops but instead, his ears can pick up on vibrations and translate them into a useful ability.

“After the whole incident, I was the go-to-guy. It was fun, getting to know everyone, their struggles, and helping them. Guess I always had the heart of a medic.” Lucio laughed quietly, an arm reaching behind his head to scratch the back of his neck.

Your crocodile senses knew Lucio was telling the truth and he was nervous for a different reason. A harmless medic who was watching out for individual’s that he cared for. A little voice filled the cavernous void, adding to the subject of home.

“My job back home is to harvest fruit like Lucio did. In our district, children start out by collecting food from trees, and when you get older, you’re moved somewhere else.” Efi stated as she held a couple wires in place while Dexter solder them to the proper circuit. Only Dexter knew what this device can do, he was being tight-lipped about it. Efi didn’t seem to mind not knowing the invention since it might be how Dexter was coping with his childhood friend’s death. That’s how she dealt with her depression when her parents had to work longer in the fields and she felt like a failure since farming wasn’t the lifestyle she wanted.

“My parents knew I was different when I turned three,” Efi started, turning her head so she can acknowledge her friends, “instead of being interested in agriculture like our district, I was interested in building things. Sometimes I built architecture out of mud and sticks behind the house or I’d find scraps of burn out circuit boards and make them usable again. My parents recognized my talents and other people noticed too. Unlike Lucio, I couldn’t come forward with my skills since it’s forbidden in our district to pursue hobbies not relevant to our jobs.”

“Wouldn’t music be a punished hobby then?” You asked, turning your attention back to Lucio. The tribute casually shrugged.

“I was given an exception.”

“Not for my family. I don’t know how many times my parents were punished because they encouraged me to pursue my engineering skills.” Efi confessed as she looked to Dexter. The tribute was still silent and concentrated on the project. She tapped her comrades shoulder, a timid smile was all she could offer for the mourning guy, “You don’t mind if I take a break, do you?”

Dexter shook his head before going back to the device. Efi unfurled herself from her cross-legged position, stretching her legs out from the prolonged position. Her legs were numb, and it felt as though ants were crawling under her skin. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling anyone likes to experience.

“What about you, (Y/N)? What’s home like for you?” Time stopped. How would you describe home? It wasn’t pleasant in your opinion. Everything was focused on the Games, accumulating wealth by either becoming a surviving tribute or becoming a Peacekeeper. Quarry workers weren’t exactly the richest in the district since it was hard labor. At least they weren’t living in poverty like other districts. Your district didn’t feel like home. The closest to home was when you were with Rose and Octavian. Their ideals were peaceful and no matter how much of a shitty day you had, you were welcomed to their home with open arms.

“Probably enjoyed being trained to kill people.” Dexter yelled over as he assembled the device together. This will have a duel purpose. His only problem was getting his plan into action. Efi frowned at Dexter’s comment since it was possible her ally might’ve enjoyed being trained to be where she is today. You shook your head, “As much as I’d like to boast how much luxury I lived in, it never felt like home.” There was a void in your chest; it was hard to ignore and hard to explain at the same time. There was something missing and there was a couple of times when that void was filled. Those were moments with Rose since she was your only true friend back from your district.

Lucio scooted over to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. Thankfully, there were no more quips from Dexter and both of your friends didn’t press you for answers. For once, you welcomed the silence, the music of a low oboe being the only instrument your mind could conjure. It was low and sad, yet it held strength in it’s low notes. At least it wasn’t a flurry of battle music, your adrenaline would spike to unknown levels and lash out. Luckily, Jesse and his damn allies weren’t anywhere near you guys.

* * *

BLAM!

Jesse shot again, watching as his three former partners were trying to flee from him. It wasn’t hard to track the tributes, Alex was lazy when it came to finding a safe area to camp out. Jesse was the best at making safe campsites due to his experience outside of his district. His sharp eyes locked onto the targets. Only one was going to suffer through the rest of the games. He wanted Alex to suffer like the bastard that he is! Abandoned him to the Rattler’s and not to mention he had degraded his former partner. Jesse regretted abandoning you, treating you like shit, and even if he doesn’t see you again, he’ll give you a fighting chance by eliminating these shit heads!

Jesse shot twice, a bullet intentionally grazing Alex’s leg and the other hit its mark.

BOOM! A cannon fire echoed overhead, Ariel looked back at her former teammate, the anger in his eyes. She should’ve fought back harder, if she had, Poseidon wouldn’t have been the target of Jesse’s wrath. The rogue tribute raised his weapon again, his aim right for Ariel’s head.

“I’m sorry.” Ariel mouthed, her voice nonexistent as fear flooded her mind. Tears flew down her cheeks, lip trembling as Jesse cocked the hammer back. Alex snarled at the pain on his leg. He noticed that Jesse had missed him on purpose. The District Two tribute had excellent aim no matter what kind of weapon he handled; so why did he do it? Blood was lazily trickling out of the wound, blood stain growing with every second. Alex was going to fight back and if he’s going down, he’s taking Jesse with him.

* * *

Everyone heard the rounds of a weapon being shot and your skin immediately paled. Jesse finally had his weapon. This was the beginning of the end. You weren’t going to roll over and die; you had too many people depending on you to win the games. Genji and Rose came to your mind, your fingers smoothing over the jade sparrow. The stone was nice and cool compared to your overheated skin. It has come down to this: either you go, or Jesse goes. Your predator instincts were preparing you for battle, blood lust adrenaline making your nerves twitch. Your heart, on the other hand, hurt painfully at the thought of killing Jesse. There was a technique to not feeling guilt over killing an individual like your teachers have taught you.

Jesse manipulated you. That was easy to remember. He made you look like an idiot in front of the Career’s, was emotionally abusive, and faked a relationship with you only to win over the sponsor’s. No matter the reason, you had reasons to contradict those statements. Jesse was hinted to be from another district and-

“The shots are getting closer!” Efi squeaked as tears formed in her eyes. Memories flashed before her eyes of a family who were trying to sneak food back to their starving family. The man was kicked to the ground with a Peacekeeper holding them down as they killed the wife and child in front of his eyes before killing him too. The screams were terrible.

Dexter rose from his spot on the ground and placed his newest innovation into his backpack and slung it on. It was time to get some good old fashion revenge.

“I’m going to check it out.” The inventor stated, waving a dismissive hand to his associates. As you watched the receding tribute leave the cave, the thought of watching the commotion outside would be beneficial. An evaluation of which opponents were left, their capabilities and potential allies. Only in it to survive the Games and not to see Jesse again.

“I’m going to check it out as well,” you supplied, following Dexter out of the cave, “I need to see who’ll be left after this fight.”

“I don’t need your help.” A quip from the lone survivor of District Three. You rolled your eyes as you followed Dexter outside.

“That’s fine then. I’m only going to observe.” It seemed to not bother Dexter even if he made an annoyed sound at your explanation. You heard small footsteps run behind you along with Lucio’s steady footfalls. It seems everyone was going out to see what the ruckus was about and if it was necessary to be prepared for a confrontation.

The hot air was atrocious! Your throat worked hard to keep it smooth and hydrated, a swallow of saliva felt as though sandpaper scratched down your throat. The belt around your waist was weighted down with weapons and bandages, essential tools that have become important from your stints in the arena so far. Dexter led the way; his footsteps filled with confidence and lacked any fear. His boots laid imprints in the sand, stealthy impressions were usually obscured and had no form. Quietly, you stepped with long strides, careful not to disturb any pebbles. It’d be a bad idea to have the Careers hear you descend the cliffside. Dexter descended first, excitement fueled him to drop the last couple of feet. He was going to show those Career’s! You followed closely on his trail, ducking behind an outcropping of rocks that kept you out of sight and on even ground. It was necessary if you have a bunch of inexperienced fighters running out to confront the Career’s. Lucio you can see at least standing a chance combat wise but Dexter and Efi? They couldn’t defend themselves or attack with nothing in their arsenal.

Lucio and Efi soon joined both you and Dexter behind the outcropping, you all peeking out to see what was happening.  The Career Pack was turning on each other, there was a sense of relief of finding Jesse alive and at the same time, you were dismayed to see Jesse had been given a weapon like the Peacekeepers. It meant he didn’t have to act anymore; he wouldn’t keep up the beautiful illusion of him sharing romantic feelings for you. Your crouch fueled by bloodlust softened into a defeated slouch. This was the worst time to have a depression especially when everyone on your team knew that both Alex and Jesse were a massive threat to everyone’s health. That was until: “Drop your weapon!” It was a new voice, female, and it sounded more righteously pissed off than it feared the dangerous tributes. Your groupmates all raised their eyebrows at the voice and you met them with the same look. Another peak outside showed a scene you didn’t expect to ever witness.

Jesse should’ve shot Ariel when he had gotten the chance. A knife was pressed up against his neck, the offender behind him. Now, he was powerless, and he hated that feeling. The edge of the knife bit into his skin as the offender pulled the knife closer against his neck.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.” Jesse held his hands out in a form of surrender, his hand had a trump card and even now, that trump card couldn’t help him in this situation. The helicarrier whirred overhead, a massive claw emerging from its belly to pick up Poseidon’s body. No one paid any attention to the claw as it did its job.

Your heart pounded in your chest at the prospect that Jesse might be killed in front of your eyes. It seemed to splinter painfully at the thought of him dead. Noticing your torment over Jesse, Lucio rested a hand on your shoulder. Reassuring you with no words needed.

Dexter felt his fingers twitch. He couldn’t wait any longer! Dexter sprinted out to the tributes, like the devil imbued unnatural speed upon this engineer. You went to grab the tribute only for him to hit you in the chest. You were stunned by his actions as he quickly rounded around the corner.

“Dex, wait!” Efi cried out as she sped after him. No! As you lurched for your friend, Lucio put a hand in the center of your chest, pushing you back into your vantage point. You winced at it since Dex already smacked you there.

“Dex will make sure she comes back to us safely.” Of course, Lucio would pull out his pacifism card. You opened you mouth to argue when a shriek filtered into your ears.

“Stay back!” The golden curls of the mysterious tribute bounced with rage. This wasn’t another Career; instead, it was one of those smarty-pants from District Three. Not much of a threat but there was another tribute running behind him.

“I said stop!” The girl barked out again, but Dexter wasn’t listening. He slid on his knees, positioning himself between Alex, Jesse, and the mysterious tribute. Efi trailed behind him, but she should be far enough away not to suffer from his device. He pulled out a detonator from his pocket, his thumb slamming on the button just as Efi rested a hand on his shoulder.

KABOOM!

You and Lucio watched in shock and disbelief as Dexter combusted into nothing, a mixture of fire and smoke engulfed where the seven tributes once stood. The explosion rocked the rock formations, the roar of the cannon fire mimicking the massive eruption.

BOOM!

“EFI!” Lucio yelled, running from his hiding spot as fast as his legs could muster. You followed him, running past him as you screamed, “Jesse!”

BOOM!

BOOM!

“Jesse! McCree!” You waded through the smoke, the sizzling flesh invading your nose. Your guts did flips, bile threatening to exit your throat. It was so putrid, it took sheer willpower to not throw up.

BOOM! Blood painted the already crimson sand, an after-shade with shadows of bodies from where they stood. You spotted a tiny hand with a few pink beads wrapped around the wrist. Tears overwhelmed your vision as you kept pushing. Efi was gone. Shit! Mourning can come later. It was important to find McCree, since he had the gun last.

“(Y/N)!” You turned around to Lucio and your face went white as a sheet. He was supporting Jesse, the said tribute covered in blood, smoke, and was white as a sheet. His head was bobbing up and down as he tried to stay awake. Lucio gestured for you to grab a hold of the tribute.

BOOM!

A glitter of silver caught your eye along with a glint of gold. Without thinking, you scooped up the items and went to grab Jesse’s arm. Except, there was no arm. Instead was blood spurting out with the beat of his heart.

“Shit! Shit! Shit!” You chanted as you hurried to loosen the belt around your waist, before winding it around the shredded limb. A weak cry slipped from Jesse’s lips as his body finally slumped downwards, losing total consciousness.

“Jesse!” You hoped against all hope that he didn’t die. You lost Efi and you couldn’t lose your district teammate. Lucio was faster as he hefted the tribute to his feet, turned him around, and bent him over his shoulder. Jesse’s hat fell off and without missing a beat, you scooped it off the ground. Lucio climbed the cliff side, balancing his patient so the tribute wouldn’t fall to his demise. You followed closely behind, panic filled your nerves.

Was McCree going to make it? You hoped he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I procrastinate too much. I'm currently working on the next chapter.


End file.
